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THE 


CENTRAL IDEA 

Jk 


CHRISTIANITY 


B >\\ 

JESSE t! PECK, D. D. 
II 



$. t uj gor It: 


CARLTON AND PORTER, 

300 MULBERRY STREET, 

1 8 5 7 . 



U?i*( 

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Its! 






Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1856, by 
JESSE T. PECK, 

In the Clerk’s Office of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts. 


(xb-cn. 



Stereotyped and printed by 
Samuel Cfp'sm, .franklin printing fllouse 
Comer Franklin and HaVrley Streets, 
sosxon. 



PREFACE. 


A VOLUME of the author’s published and unpublished writings 
on the Central Idea of Christianity has been frequently and 
urgently called for; and, after mature consideration, he does 
not feel at liberty longer to withhold it. 

He has written, and ventured to approach the public through 
various periodicals, upon different branches of this subject, at 
intervals, during the last eight or ten years. His discussions 
and appeals have been designed to meet some pressing emer¬ 
gency, to aid in correcting some serious evil, and, so far as 
practicable, contribute to the healthy spiritual growth of the 
Church. 

He was, at length, quite surprised to find that, in this irreg¬ 
ular way, he was really writing a book. Some of his friends 
noticed this, and urged him to give it permanent form; inti¬ 
mating, indeed, in the event of his refusal, an idea of doing it 
for him. He thought it much better to be his own editor, 
especially as important portions of the discussion were in the 
form of unpublished manuscript; and other connecting links, 
absolutely indispensable, must be prepared with caution, and 
special adaptation to a general plan. 

The work needs no further introduction, excepting to remind 
the reader that, in a book written in this manner, the same 



IV 


PREFACE. 


idea will inevitably recur, in different special themes, and the 
consistency and unity of the whole will be, hence, less perfect. 
But, in such a discussion as we here venture to present, we 
regard this as an advantage rather than a blemish. While the 
work includes a finished system, each section is complete in 
itself; and, if the reader has not time to examine the volume 
consecutively, he will find any part of it intelligible alone. 
Any repetitions, not conveniently avoidable in this method of 
writing, will only have the effect to place some important prac¬ 
tical thought in various aspects and relations, and thus increase 
the probability of permanent and useful impressions. 

This effort to present to the Church a thoroughly scriptural 
and practical view of the Central Idea of Christianity, is humbly 
and prayerfully committed to God for his providential care and 
blessing, and to Christians of all denominations, for their 
candid examination, in view of the judgment of the great day. 
May it, then, appear that some valuable purpose has been pro¬ 
moted by the humble labors of 


The Author. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER I. 

THE CENTRAL IDEA ASCERTAINED. Pag C . 

Section i.—T he Scripture Argument,.. 7 

II.— The Analytical Argument,. 12 

hi.—T he Historical Argument,. 22 

iv.—The Experimental Argument,. 27 

y.—The Argument Applied,.. 29 

CHAPTER II. 

THE CENTRA? IDEA DEFINED. 

Section i. —The Limitations of the Idea,. 41 

ii.—T he Contents of the Idea,. 48 

hi.—D ifficulties Considered,. 65 

CHAPTER III. 

THE CENTRAL IDEA NEGLECTED. 

Section i. —The Fact Shown,. 67 

First—The state of individuals,. 67 

Second—The great present want of the Church,. 87 

ii. —The Fact Accounted for,. 110 

First—Not by want of time but of attention,. 110 

Second—Want of special prayer and conviction,. 116 

m.—The Fact Deprecated,. 120 

First—Consequences to neglecters,. ... 120 

Second—Consequences to tho Church,. 125 




















VI 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER IV. 


THE CENTRAL IDEA IN ITS CLAIMS. Pago. 

Section i. —It is Desirable to be Holy,. 133 

First—Shown from the nature and effects of sin,. 133 

Second—From the nature and results of holiness,. 146 

ii.—It is possible to be Holy,. 154 

First—Shown to be rational by a priori considerations,.. 154 

Second—From Scripture,. 162 

hi.—I t is necessary to be Holy,. IV2 

First—Shown from the end of man’s creation, and tho 

nature of God,. 172 

Second—From the nature of law and the mission of tho 
Church,. 178 


CHAPTER V. 

THE CENTRAL IDEA IN ITS COUNCILS. 


Section i. —The Conviction Produced,.193 

ii. —The Resolution Formed,. 205 

hi.—T he Feeling “Necessary,.212 

iv. —The Confession Required,. 217 

v. —The Consecration Made,. 223 

vi. —The Faith Exercised,. 228 

vn.—The Prayer Offered,. 243 

vm.—The Evidence Received,. .» . 253 

ix.—Tho Responsibility Taken,. 274 


CHAPTER VI. 

THE CENTRAL IDEA IN ITS APPEALS. 

Section i. —To Professors of Perfect Love. . 294 

First—Trials await you. 294 

Second—Holiness must not bo taken out of its proper 

connections,. 316 

Third—Beware of schism,. 321 

Fourth—This sacred profession must be vindicated,.... 328 

ii. —To the General Church,. 343 

in.—To tho Leaders of the Church,. 353 

iv.—To tho Christian Ministry,. 369 


























THE 


CENTRAL IDEA OF CHRISTIANITY. 


CHAPTER I. 

THE CENTRAL IDEA ASCERTAINED. 

SEC. I. THE SCRIPTURE ARGUMENT. 

The interpretation of a system depends upon its 
central idea. This is seen in mechanism. The different 
parts of a watch, for instance, would be perfectly unin¬ 
telligible to the most careful observer, without the idea 
which produced it. To mark the division of time being 
the problem, every wheel becomes a part of the solution. 
In the same way, government without the idea of social 
rights, is a collection of unmeaning forms ; but, with this 
idea, all its details are luminous and significant. No 
man caif understand the system of Mohammed, until he 
examines it as a scheme for sensual gratification. He 
will then see the reason for every thing that is peculiar 
to it. So the religious sentiment under the control of 
hope or fear explains the stupendous system of human 
folly called heathenism. Judaism exists to support the 
idea of national preeminence, and Catholicism has been 



8 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


known for ages only by its magnificent designs of 
political power and universal domination. These are 
only illustrations of the general law that every system 
has its central idea; and though we may generalize 
sufficiently from an examination of particulars, to 
ascertain that idea, yet no system can be thoroughly 
understood, nor justly interpreted, but in the light of it. 

We purpose,'therefore, to discuss the question. What 
is the central idea of Christianity ? 

We do not propose to examine the various answers 
which have been given to this question. They are to 
be found not so much in books as in systems; for the 
different organizations under the Christian scheme have 
all received their distinctive forms from the notions of 
men with regard to the great end contemplated—the 
final cause of the enterprise. The Christian institutes 
have not produced the central idea, but the idea has 
produced them. There can be but one central idea of 
the Christian scheme, and that is, as it exists in the 
mind of God. Any human conception of it can only 
approximate the truth in proportion as it resembles the 
idea which existed in the mind of God when he 
constructed the system in its divine and essential forms. 
In exact proportion as the various branches of the 
Christian church and the heretical sects have departed 
from this original, have been their errors in doctrine, in 
ceremonies, in morals, and in government. We shall 
attempt to reach and expose these various errors only so 
far as the development and brief application of what we 
believe to be the true idea, may serve this purpose. 

And first, we shall consult the Scriptures. The 
doctrines, institutions, and obligations included in 


ASCERTAINED. 


9 


Christianity, are discussed, separately and combined, in 
the Holy Bible, in' a great variety of forms. But he 
must read very superficially who can regard them as 
detached and independent truths. The more profoundly 
we study the sacred volume, the more clearly we 
shall see that it embodies and illustrates a splendid 
scheme of remedial government. Not a thought, not a 
fact, not a truth, bears a foreign stamp, or indicates in 
the slightest degree that it exists for itself alone, or for 
any other system whatever. The great idea which 
originated the several parts of this amazing scheme, is 
to be ascertained, not by accidental reading or limited 
study of the Bible, but by the strictest attention to its 
drift. Principles, in the abstract and in the concrete, 
must be collated with the utmost care. The minutest 
particulars, as well as the most prominent and extensive, 
must be viewed in their relations to each other, and the 
grand scope of the whole divine teaching ascertained. 
Whoever does this, will, we think, find the following 
truths, tending to a solution of our problem, clearly 
established: 

1. The choice of God for the moral condition of the 
human race was perfect purity; hence he created man 
in his own image. 

2. As this was once the choice of God, it must be 
eternally so, and the divine preference or will can never 
be met but by perfect moral purity. 

3. Sin interfered with this choice, to the full extent 
of its existence and reign, and hence called out the 
severest divine displeasure. 

4. There has, therefore, never been and never can be 
the slightest toleration of sin in any divine communica- 


10 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


tions; it is condemned with unsparing severity in its 
most secret and plausible forms. 

5. As man, by becoming a sinner, has incurred the 
divine displeasure, he can be saved from calamity and 
made perfectly happy only by entire deliverance from 
sin. 

6. Remedial measures, originating in God, must aim 
directly at the destruction of sin. Excepting it in any 
of its forms, making provision for its continuance, its 
justification, or excuse, in the soul of the saved, t<3 any 
extent, would be trifling, impossible in him. 

7. The sacrificial offering of Christ, and the means 
and appliances of the gospel, reveal the plan of salva¬ 
tion by the destruction of sin and the restoration of man 
to the image of God, and can, in no way, be reconciled 
with the idea of salvation in sin. 

We have not room to amplify these propositions, or 
to introduce the Scriptures which prove them. Nor is 
it necessaiy, as they will not be questioned by any 
whom we can hope to reach. But if they truly indicate 
the drift of revelation, they show, incontestably, that 
the great idea of Christianity is holiness; that this vast 
scheme of suffering, teaching, labor, and agency, has all 
been produced and is carried on solely to deliver man 
from his sins, for the ultimate perfection of Christian 
character. There are certain Scriptures which show 
conclusively that we have not mistaken the teachings of 
revelation upon this great question. 

St. Paul to the Colossians has this remarkable saying 
in regard to Christ: “ Whom we preach, warning every 
man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we 
may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus ; where- 


ASCERTAINED. 


11 


unto I also labor, striving according to bis working, 
which worketh in me mightily.” Then to “ present 
every man perfect in Christ Jesus,” is the grand and 
sole design of apostolic preaching. Christ, as our 
Mediator, appears among men to answer to that idea. 
He throws himself into the greatest of the apostles to 
energize his soul, his eloquence, and his labors, for that 
purpose alone. Can there be a stronger declaration that 
the perfection of Christian character is the central idea 
of the gospel ? if so, we have it in this: “ And he 
gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, 
evangelists ,• atid some, pastors and teachers; for the 
perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, 
for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come 
in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the 
Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of 
the stature of the fulness of Christ.” Holiness, then, 
or the “ perfecting of the saints,” produced the pasto¬ 
rate in all its forms. This alone, therefore, can explain 
its sacred functions; and in every endowment and 
authorized effort, it points to the splendid idea which 
called it into existence. 

We give one quotation more, which covers the whole 
ground of revelation. Paul says to Timothy: “All 
Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profit¬ 
able for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for 
instruction in righteousness; that the man of God may 
be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” 
Here, then, are “ the Holy Scriptures ” “ given by 
inspiration of God,” with their vast details of doctrine, 
reproof, correction, and instruction, for the sole purpose 
of producing experimental and practical perfection; 


12 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


and in this life, as it is thus that “ the man of God ” is 
to “be thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” 
There is, then, no resisting it. This great idea produced 
the Bible—the whole Bible—and it is this alone that 
renders every part of it luminous. If this is the thing 
to be done, to make “ the man of God perfect,” it is 
just the Bible we need; and it is most appropriately 
entitled, by universal consent, “ The Holy Bible.” It 
is therefore settled, by authority, that holiness or 
Christian perfection is the central idea of Christianity. 


SEC. n. THE ANALYTICAL ARGUMENT. 

It is not so much to strengthen our position, as to 
rouse attention and induce action, that we now propose 
to subject the system to a critical and searching analysis, 
to see if we are thus conducted to the same result. Let 
us take our position outside of the system, and travel 
inward, taking up and carefully examining every part 
of it as we proceed, until we reach the centre, and ascer¬ 
tain what is that one condition and life upon which all 
the rest depends. And the first thing we find is, 
perhaps, a building—numerous buildings, indeed, of 
various sizes, architecture, and expense. But a 
building can be the central idea of nothing; for we 
instinctively ask, What is it for? In this instance, 
we observe, that the convenience of assembly is the 
object. The gathering next attracts our attention; but 
a meeting is no central idea, for we wish to know why 
the people meet. We soon perceive the observance of 
certain rites which, considered alone, seem idle, and 


ASCERTAINED. 


13 


might be as well performed with far less pains. But 
we are told that this sacrament is an oath, that it implies 
a covenant between these men and the invisible God, 
and that this bread and wine are used to symbolize the 
body and blood of a victim for sinners. The Lord’s 
Supper then is no central idea. And the application of 
water by one man, to the person of another, can be of 
no importance in itself; but solemnly performed “ in 
the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the 
Holy Ghost,” it carries us out of itself to the wondrous 
work of which it is “the sign and seal.” Baptism, 
then, is not the central idea of the system. But upon 
further observation we perceive that an organization 
exists, that there is a vast and extended brotherhood, 
with all the powers and functions of a distinct and 
vigorous life; and we may ask. Is not this the consum¬ 
mation of the scheme ? Certainly not;. for an idea 
must produce an organization, and hence must be 
anterior to it and essentially independent of it. It may 
pervade the organization, but only as the soul the body, 
without losing its identity. The church, then, is not 
central in this system. Examining still more closely 
the acts of this society, we perceive that stated public 
addresses are delivered; but these, like all speeches or 
harangues, are to get something done. Preaching is, 
therefore, not the idea which produced Christianity. 
Solemn invocation addressed to an invisible Being is 
another stated exercise; but this expresses an emotion 
or thought, or implores some good or the aversion of 
some ill, out of itself. It was not, then, for the 
production of prayer that this system was instituted; 
and the same is true of praise. 


2 


14 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


Travelling inward, the light increases, indicating 
nearer approach to the sun at the centre. An unseen 
power has revealed to the soul the fact of its guilt, and 
it writhes in agony. But is this an object ? Is the 
sufferer to be left in this condition? Surely not. 
Conviction, then, is not central to this system. This 
state is followed by an inward loathing of sin — a 
voluntary and decisive turning away from it. But 
repentance cannot exist alone. It can only be conceived 
of as a consequence or a means. Faith grasps a 
Redeemer, and hence, great as it is, is only an instru¬ 
mentality—a condition of blessings out of itself. It 
was not, then, merely that men might believe, that this 
dispensation was given. Pardon only absolves for the 
past. Of itself, it effects no radical change in the moral 
condition or tendencies of the sinner. Left at this 
point, he must the next instant commence a fresh accu¬ 
mulation of guilt. Justification is not, therefore, the 
central idea of Christianity. Bring the dead soul to 
life, let it be “begotten of God” — “ born again” — 
“ born from above,” and does this alone meet the divine 
purpose in commencing the work of grace ? Is regen¬ 
eration the grand ultimate point to which the whole 
gospel scheme tends ? Does this properly imply that 
specific moral state which, of itself, fits the soul for 
heaven? We grant that the word maybe used in a 
sense which would comprehend it ; but is this its proper 
use? We think not, and for the following reasons: — 
1. There is a broad and necessary distinction between 
the existence of a thing and the state of the thing 
existing, between the fact of life and the mode of life, 
between a soul spiritually alive and the moral condition 


ASCERTAINED. 


15 


of the living spirit. Just as natural life and the 
condition of the living being are distinct, spiritual life 
and the moral condition of the spiritually alive are 
distinct. Certain invariable coincidences between these 
two things, in no respect interfere with their essential 
difference. Now, two things so entirely distinct, as the 
fact of spiritual life and the moral state of the spirit¬ 
ually alive, ought to have different names. 

2. Regeneration appropriately designates the former, 
sanctification the latter. The first term includes both 
the sign and the thing signified. Generation denotes 
the production of natural life, re-generation the produc¬ 
tion of spiritual life. Now the force of the illustration 
is seen in the following particulars: — (1.) The soul 
in its natural state is “dead”— “dead in trespasses and 
in sins.” It is so, because “to be carnally minded is 
death.” ( 2 .) Natural life is the product of divine 
power alone, and spiritual life must be also. Generation 
expresses the operation of this power in the one 
instance, and re-generation in the other. A similar 
relation exists between the ideas represented by the 
words creature and “new creature,” born and 
“born again.” (3.) Generation and birth produce 
new natural powers and functions, which demonstrate 
the omnipotence of their Creator; re-generation and 
the new birth produce spiritual powers and functions 
entirely new, which demonstrate equally the divinity 
of their origin. (4.) The result of generation is 
natural life with its accidents, the result of re-gener¬ 
ation is spiritual life with its accidents; the degree of 
health may be mentioned as an accident of the former, 
the degree of sanctification or holiness as an accident of 


16 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


the latter. The word sanctification just as appropriately 
denotes certain treatment of the soul, which God has 
brought to life, as regeneration does the fact of bringing 
it to life. Sanctify is from sanctus , holy, and facio, to 
make. Sanctification is literally the act of making 
holy, and this is its essential meaning in systematic 
divinity. 

Now here are two things totally distinct from each 
other, as much so as a fact and a quality of a fact, a 
thing and an accident of a thing can be; and here are 
two terms, of entirely different import, completely 
adapted to represent these two things respectively — 
regeneration, the production of spiritual life; sanctifi¬ 
cation, the treatment of the soul spiritually alive — 
neither of which can, without violence to the laws of 
language, perform the office of the other. We humbly 
submit, therefore, that they ought not to be used inter¬ 
changeably, and that attempts so to use them have 
caused nearly all the confusion which has embarrassed 
these great points in theology. 

3. The experience of Christians amply sustains the 
distinctions we have made. It is generally if not univer¬ 
sally: (1.) that, in conversion, they receive a new life, 
manifesting powers and functions entirely spiritual, and 
different from any they have before exhibited; as before 
this they have proved that “ to be carnally minded is 
death,” they now prove that “to be spiritually minded 
is life and peace:” (2.) that with regeneration they 
have received but an imperfect sanctification; or, in 
other words, that God has commenced to sanctify the 
souls which he has regenerated, making the progression 
and completion of the work depend upon conditions 


ASCERTAINED. 


17 


which he has clearly revealed: (3.) that, so far from 

being identical, regeneration may be truly affirmed of 
those who are in all stages of sanctification, and only a 
few profess or believe that they are sanctified wholly, 
whereas all Christians claim to be and really are regen¬ 
erated : (4.) that the great business and chief difficulty 

of all regenerate men is to secure their entire sanctifi¬ 
cation. This is the great question between them and 
God on the one hand, and Satan on the other; and, too 
generally, it takes nearly the whole of probation to 
settle it. Now the strength of this argument is in the 
circumstance that it is of the nature of fact and utterly 
undeniable. 

4. The Scriptures conclusively settle the question. 
They plainly assume the distinction. To sinners God says, 
“ Ye must be born again; ” to the regenerate, “ Be ye 
holy, for I am holy.” In this exhortation they persist 
with the greatest possible earnestness. “ Having, there¬ 
fore, these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse 
ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, 
perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord.” The great 
apostle was, therefore, aware that these Christian 
brethren, “ dearly beloved,” had yet need of cleansing 
“ from filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting 
holiness.” Again: Knowing that there was such a 
thing as being sanctified but in part, and aware that this 
was the real condition of his brethren at Thessalonica, 
as it is of Christians generally, in his most fervent 
devotions he prayed, “And the veiy God of peace 
sanctify you wholly.” Quotations are unnecessary. 
The whole tenor of Scripture upon this subject assumes 
that the merely regenerate have need of further sanctifi- 


2* 


18 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


cation. They, and they only, are the persons to whom 
it is offered; who are required, by the most positive 
command, to “go on to perfection,” and encouraged by 
the most gracious promises to expect the blessing, in 
answer to believing prayer — “Faithful is he that hath 
called you, who also will do it.” 

If, then, there is a broad and necessary distinction 
between a soul spiritually alive, and the moral condition 
of the living spirit — if the terms regeneration and 
sanctification are strictly and only appropriate to the 
production of spiritual life, and to the treatment of the 
soul so brought to life, and cannot be used interchange¬ 
ably— if the experience of all Christians recognizes 
this distinction, which is really so far from being 
questionable, that it is the great duty and work of all 
regenerate persons to secure the progress and ultimate 
completion of the work of sanctification — and if, for 
this purpose, the Holy Scriptures address to them the 
most pointed declarations of want, the most peremptory 
commands to go forward to its acquisition, and the most 
gracious assurances of success, — then regeneration is 
not sanctification, and regeneration is not the central 
idea of Christianity. 

We have now reached, in our analysis, the great 
fact to which we were guided in our Scripture test, 
as affording the true explanation of the whole gospel 
scheme—perfect purity — the choice of God for the 
moral condition of the human race. Let the work of 
sanctification, which commences at the time of regener¬ 
ation, go on to its completion; let the inward foes 
which were then conquered be slain and exterminated,— 
so that those who at first could only say, “ Being justified 


ASCERTAINED. 


19 


by faith, we hare peace with God through our Lord 
Jesus Christ,” now say, with equal assurance, “ The 
blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin; ” 
and this must be precisely the thing which God saw at 
the beginning was necessary to counteract the evil which 
had been done; and reproduce the moral state Lorn 
which man had fallen. To accomplish this he insti¬ 
tuted the scheme of redemption. If it was for any 
object less than this, then the divine purposes could be 
harmonized with the permanent existence of sin in his 
redeemed ones. But we have taken up, one by one, the 
facts and principles, and operations of the system, and 
found no one of them that could stand alone — that 
could explain all the rest, and entirely answer to the 
divine will — until we reached that “ holiness -without 
which no man shall see the Lord.” This is a principle 
independent of all others, in its essential character. It 
existed prior to all gospel institutions and remedial acts. 
It is an object of such immense importance as to justify 
the vast arrangements of the remedial dispensation. It 
explains every one of them; and, if we suppose it 
absent from the system, they all immediately become 
unintelligible and valueless. To do less for man than 
to make him holy would be, in effect, to do nothing for 
him; and to do this is to do all. Holiness is, there¬ 
fore, the central sun which pours its glorious light 
through every part of the system, and illustrates every 
tiling which it contains. Remove it, and all is dark as 
midnight. 

Let us, however, test the matter still further. Going 
ag ain to the outside of the scheme, let us approach the 
centre from another direction. There are certain requi- 


20 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


sitions of the gospel which are evidently fundamental. 
Take that great one which includes all others : “ Thou 
shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart / 5 etc. 
The question now is, What moral condition of the soul 
is capable of this result? You observe Christian love 
that is mingled with fear. This you trace to a state of 
imperfect sanctification. But find the outbeamings of 
that “ perfect love 55 which “ casteth out fear , 55 in the 
countenance — in every feeling — in every word — in 
every act, and trace them to their home in the inner 
being, and you will find it perfectly pure. You will 
say in raptures to that child of God, “ Being made free 
from sin, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end 
everlasting life . 55 The same is certainly true of every 
one of the Christian graces — of every attempt at 
obedience. Those which, from their mixed character, 
must be condemned, not merely by the flaming law, but 
by the high standard of perfection made attainable by 
the gospel, can be traced, in every instance, to an 
unsanctified state of the heart, showing that something 
yet remains to be done to complete the work of purifi¬ 
cation ; and those which meet this standard, can be 
traced to a state of perfect inward purity. How clearly, 
then, this purity—the state which originally gave out 
these manifestations, and which alone can now produce 
them — is and must be the centre of the remedial 
system! 

But, finally, let us take our position in heaven, 
and thence move out into the kingdom of grace until 
we reach its centre. The question now is. What state 
of mind is a full preparation for heaven ? Here every¬ 
thing is holy. God—the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost 


ASCERTAINED. 


21 


— reigns in holiness, immaculate and infinite ; the 
angels shine in unsullied purity ; and the saints, having 
“ washed their robes and made them white in the blood 
of the Lamb,” are without a stain. Not an impure 
thought or feeling, desire or motive, can be found in all 
that bright world. The employments of the place are 
suited only to holy beings. And going out to find the 
persons adjusted to the place, we reject all others, and 
by universal consent accept the souls cleansed from all 
unrighteousness. The most splendid talents would he 
no substitute for holiness; the brightest genius the 
world ever saw must pause at the gate of this celestial 
paradise, if a spot of sin be found upon his garments. 

Let no man assert, by way of objection to this 
position, that all truly converted persons, who do not 
backslide, are safe. If it is meant that justification and 
regeneration are intended to supersede entire sanctification 

— that they are of themselves a preparation for that 
holy place — the position is dangerously false. If it is 
intended to claim that a state of continued justification 
includes the assurance of entire sanctification, — or, in 
other words, that he who retains the favor of God, must 
and will press on to the point of entire purification,— 
it is a glorious truth; but as this is, therefore, a mere 
question of the mode and probability of reaching a 
particular state, it in no way affects the argument we 
have adduced, to show that this state of purity is of 
itself, however or whenever reached, a full preparation, 
and the only preparation for heaven. 

Thus we see that, from whatever point we commence 
our analysis, we reach the same result. All the other 
great facts and duties which the system includes, all the 


22 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


operations of divine grace upon the heart, are but so 
many means to this glorious end — all lead directly in 
to holiness at the centre. The results which are fully 
in accordance with the expressed will of God, all point 
directly back to it; and, coming out from heaven itself, 
to find the true preparation for that glorious place, we 
ascertain it to be holiness alone. Carefully examining 
every particular of the system, within our reach, we 
find nothing else that will, as an end, meet the demands 
of the Almighty, explain the vast details of the remedial 
scheme, or account for the splendid results of that 
scheme in this world and in the next. By the test of 
analysis, then, as well as of revelation, holiness is the 
central idea of Christianity. 


SEC. m. THE HISTORICAL ARGUMENT. 

Our next appeal is to history. And the question 
raised here, is, What is the law of religious develop¬ 
ment and power as an agent of reform ? Or, in other 
words, regarding Christianity as the one grand agent, 
ordained by the Almighty to reform the world, in 
proportion to what has it been successful ? 

The following facts are beyond question. An indi¬ 
vidual professor takes his jfiace in the church. He has 
wealth, and uses it freely for the benefit of the organiza¬ 
tion. He has talents, and they are zealously devoted to 
the defence of the church. He has popular influence, 
and he uses it to gather proselytes to the faith. But 
his piety is superficial. Words escape him every day 
which show that they come from an impure fountain. 


ASCERTAINED. 


23 


He is, in spirit, a man of the world, and he has very 
little power to reform men. He may induce them to 
attend his church, and even to join it; but in all his 
efforts to reform them he feels that he is weak, and they 
turn away in disgust, or look to others for their models, 
and advice. But let this same man improve in his 
piety, and his power to do good at once begins to 
increase. Let him approximate nearer and nearer the 
standard of Christian perfection, and it will be seen that 
his spiritual power increases in exact proportion. 

On the other hand, take a man whose heart is entirely 
consecrated; whose pure life indicates purity of heart, 
whose holy example commands universal respect, whose 
simple, unpretending efforts move all who hear his voice 
in prayer, or praise, or exhortation. Now, let him 
yield to temptation,—admit corruption into his heart, 

— and how soon it is seen that he is shorn of his 
strength! Just in proportion as he recedes from his 
elevated position in Christian holiness, his power of 
usefulness diminishes. Nor can he supply this defici¬ 
ency by any other element. He who loses his purity 
may strive to save his power by increase of zeal, by 
enlarged charities, by the severest austerities ; but it is 
all of no avail. He makes himself a living proof that 
holiness is the measure of power. 

A comparison of two men in the ministry will 
strengthen this conclusion. One is a man of shining 
talents, of genteel address, of popular eloquence; the 
other, ordinary in all these respects — in all natural 
qualities, the inferior of his brother. But he is a man 
of God — a man of faith. His soul is filled with love 

— “ perfect love that casteth out fear.” He moves 


24 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


among the people like a spirit from eternity. His 
rebukes of sin fall with dreadful force upon the hearts 
of the wicked. His sermons, his prayers, his expostu¬ 
lations, his tears, all indicate the presence of an extra¬ 
ordinary power; and thousands are converted, sanctified, 
and saved through his instrumentality. But the other 
man sees no such fruits of his labor. Souls may he 
converted, but he feels that it is in spite of him rather 
than through his instrumentality. He wonders at the 
difference. He increases his exertions — elaborates his 
sermons with more learning and research—improves 
their rhetoric and oratory, but all to little purpose. He 
may increase the admiration of his hearers, but he 
cannot subdue their hearts, bring them weeping to the 
foot of the cross, and present them with joy as the 
trophies of the Redeemer. But let him seek and obtain 
the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Let fire from God’s 
altar touch his lips and purify his soul, and he is a new 
man. He does not throw away his talents, his genius, 
his learning ; but they are all sanctified. With the 
simplicity of a child, and a heart overflowing w r ith love, 
he preaches the truth, and it is “in the demonstration 
of the Spirit, and with power,” and a glorious refor¬ 
mation follows. Whatever may be the seeming varia¬ 
tions arising from the deficiency of our knowledge, 
we have, in these particular instances, strong historic 
indications of a general law. 

What is true of individuals is true of churches also. 
Wherever a number of Christians have associated 
together, with the evident and exclusive aim of pro¬ 
moting purity of heart and life, they have prospered. 
Their creed may have included strange inconsistencies—• 


ASCERTAINED. 


25 


their forms and ceremonies may have frequently been 
the offspring of conceit, and devoid of taste — they may 
have been generally uneducated and without the advan¬ 
tages of wealth or influential Mends, — but with a 
supreme devotion to experimental holiness they have 
revealed an inner spiritual and powerful life, which has 
defied all persecution, and survived the rage of enemies. 

Upon the other hand, churches having the purest 
creed ever drawn from the Sacred Records, combining 
the accumulated wealth, and learning, and power of 
ages, have perished in the very midst of their greatness, 
simply by becoming corrupt. We affirm that there is 
not a superannuated Christian denomination in history, 
whose decline has not been in exact proportion to its 
sins. Not unfrequently have men been amazed at the 
want of reformatory power in Christian communions of 
vast extent and influence, exhibiting many signs of 
external prosperity. But God has been witness to their 
departure from Christian simplicity and purity, and 
written “ Ichabod ” upon their sacred altars and splendid 
temples. 

Finally: the most profound attention to the history 
of the general church will show the same unvarying 
truth. Under the influence of apostolic purity, the 
early victories of the cross were as decisive in the 
reformation of individual character and public manners, 
as they were unparalleled in their extent and power. 
But the gradual departure from primitive simplicity, 
and the immense accumulation of corruption in heart 
and life which followed, by slow degrees destroyed the 
power of the church to act as a reforming agent, and 
that long, dark night of a thousand years, which closed 

3 


26 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


in upon her spiritual vision, was a night of corruption. 
When the Reformation dawned, it showed the most 
revolting spectacles of vice, pervading all classes, from 
the obscure monk to the haughty prelate in the 
pretended chair of St. Peter. Honest minds were 
alarmed at the revelation ; and as the noble men who 
led the movement humbled themselves before God, 
“ renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not 
walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God 
deceitfully,” they began to acquire the power to benefit 
the race, which had been lost by apostasy; and just in 
proportion to their purity they became actual and suc¬ 
cessful reformers. The history of that great work of 
God which commenced through their instrumentality, 
extends to every land on the face of the earth, and on 
into eternity, illustrating at every step of its progress the 
great principle which we are endeavoring to develop. 

The Wesleyan reformation was eminently a move¬ 
ment in favor of holiness. The true doctrine of Chris¬ 
tian Perfection was perhaps more clearly taught and 
powerfully enforced than at any former time since the 
days of primitive purity. And while the great mass of 
converts made it their aim, large numbers pressed on to 
the actual experience and living demonstration of the 
power of Christ to cleanse from all sin. And mark the 
result: ctf No weapon formed against them could prevail.” 
From the feeblest beginnings, without wealth, without 
power, in the midst of the most violent persecutions, 
they have moved on in a career of usefulness unparal¬ 
leled since the days of the apostles. 

Now this uniformity of facts, extending from individuals 
up through special Christian organizations, to the general 


ASCERTAINED. 


27 


church, and pervading all ecclesiastical history, can be 
the result of no accident. It shows with the force of 
demonstration that holiness is the great law of religious 
development, and hence that holiness is the central idea 
of Christianity. 


SEC. IV. THE EXPERIMENTAL ARGUMENT. 

Our final appeal is to experience. And here the heart 
of every man must answer for itself. If the grand 
design of the gospel be any thing less than perfect purity, 
then the soul can find full rest without it. If it be only 
pardon and regeneration, then the discovery of remaining 
corruptions ought to be no cause of uneasiness; the 
prayers of those who groan for full redemption ought to 
be unheeded ; or, if relief be found, it ought to be in 
some other system—through some other name than the 
name of Jesus. 

But what facts does experience reveal ? Why, that a 
deep and painful sense of inward impurity may remain 
after all guilt is washed away ; that in the midst of the 
divine comforts of adoption the soul longs for the rest 
of perfect love; that the more devoted the life of the 
regenerate Christian, the more intense is his desire to be 
cleansed from all sin, and while he is without the evidence 
of this finished work, he has more or less of fear for the 
future. By the most powerful internal convictions, and 
the most obvious tendencies of every work of grace 
that has heretofore been wrought upon his heart, he is 
urged on to this glorious consummation. And it is not 
in accordance with experience that he who sighs for puri- 


28 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


ty of heart must sigh in vain—that he who cries, “ Cre¬ 
ate in me a clean heart, 0 God,” must pray in vain. From 
numerous examples in Scripture, from the testimonies 
of thousands long since gone to their reward, and of 
thousands still living, the declaration of Jesus is amply 
sustained : “ Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after 
righteousness, for they shall be filled.” So far were they 
from being compelled to look to other systems and other 
names for deliverance, that they declare with the utmost 
confidence it was well said by the angel, “ And thou 
shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people 
from their sins;” for we have in our hearts the divine 
assurance that “the blood of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, 
cleanseth us from all sin.” 

And precisely as it ought to be, if this is the centre of 
the scheme, here the soul finds rest—here perfect satis¬ 
faction. All its desires, all its passions, all its plans are 
in complete harmony with the will of God. From this 
sanctified state it can develop itself without inward obstruc¬ 
tion—from this position it can expand and advance with 
freedom and power. The growth of the spirit, which in 
its original purity must certainly have been infinite, has 
been sadly interrupted by its dreadful disease. And 
since the cure commenced it has been much retarded 
by the remains of the disease. But, now that the cure is 
complete, and faith is strong and active, growth in grace 
is free, natural, and rapid. It is true the effects of this 
malady may long remain after the remedy has been 
thoroughly successful. Infirmities of body and mind, 
which constantly need the compassion of God, the merits 
of Christ, and the charity of men, will press upon us till 
our probation ends; but, in spite of them all, the soul in a 


ASCERTAINED. 


29 


state of perfect salvation* rises, enlarges, and triumphs, 
as it could never have done under any but a remedial 
system. 

Thus directly and inevitably does experience conduct 
us to holiness as the great want of immortal man—the 
grand design of redemption. 

We have now examined this question in the light of 
the Holy Scriptures, and found that this stupendous 
system of revelation and redeeming mercy was under¬ 
taken “ that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly 
furnished unto all good works.” We have subjected 
the scheme to the severest analysis. Moving inward 
from different positions outside of it, we have found 
holiness alone at its centre. We have consulted history 
and experience, and found that in fact holiness is the 
measure of power. We are compelled, therefore, by the 
strictest logical necessity, to assert that holiness is the 
central idea of Christianity. 


SEC. V. THE ARGUMENT APPLIED. 

It will, we think, at once be perceived that we have 
reached a position of immense practical importance. If 
this be the true central idea of the Christian scheme, we 
may try everything by it, which, in the lapse of centuries 
has come to be attached’ to this scheme. Evidently 
enough, whatever has no adaptation to produce entire 
sanctification in the hearts of believers,—“to present 
every man perfect in Christ Jesus,”—does not belong to 
the system, and must be promptly rejected. 

From the nature of God it must be certain that he 

3 » 


30 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


has made no mistakes in the details of a system designed 
to restore to man his lost image; and it is wonderful to 
see with what skill and directness he has adjusted every¬ 
thing to this grand aim. He has revealed his fiery law, 
which flames out in wrath against all species of sin. He 
has exhibited the immaculate purity of his own character, 
which causes seraphim to cry, “ Holy, holy, holy is the 
Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory.” 
He has uttered the unchangeable law to his people, “Ye 
shall be holy: for I the Lord your God am holy.” He 
provided a Redeemer, whose blood made ample atone¬ 
ment for all sin. He gave the Holy Ghost to awaken, 
to regenerate, and to sanctify us. He gave his word to 
teach us the necessity of holiness. He moved men of 
strong faith to pray for the blessing in behalf of his 
people, and sketched with the pen of inspiration the 
characters and lives of those who had reached this glori¬ 
ous perfection. He bade us “ mark the perfect man and 
behold the upright, for the end of that man is peace.” He 
established the ministry to explain to us the way of holi¬ 
ness, to rouse us from the slumbers of sin, and persuade 
us to “lay hold on eternal life.” He provided the 
church to cherish and build us up from our feeble in¬ 
fancy, and aid us to “ go on to perfection.” He gave 
us the holy sacraments to bind us to himself, and keep 
us perpetually in mind of the cleansing blood. Indeed 
it may be safely said that while every thing which God 
has instituted for man is most evidently designed and 
adapted to lead to purity of heart, he has omitted nothing 
which is essential to this result. 

But how is it with man ? Alas! he has too frequently 
“ perverted the right way of the Lord.” There is much 


ASCE11TAINED. 


31 


in the faith, and forms, and practice of the different 
branches of the church, to show that the great idea of 
holiness has been denied its central position, and that 
others of far less importance, and even wholly untrue, 
have been assumed in its stead. Let us test these three 
particulars far enough to indicate in a slight degree, the 
power of a central idea in the formation of opinions, and 
the adjustment of subordinate parts of a system, and the 
importance of a correct development of that idea, in 
attempts to ascertain our position, to detect our errors, 
and establish ourselves in the truth. 

Let it be inquired, for instance, how the doctrine of 
fate, in any of its forms, came to be incorporated into the 
creeds of the Christian denominations. And taking 
holiness as the central idea of the system, we cannot 
account for it. Holiness is a moral state. Its restoration 
is a moral result; but there can be no moral quality 
without freedom. God cannot change to be pleased at 
one time, with that which displeased him at another. 
The law cannot change to render that holy which it once 
condemned. There must therefore be a change in the 
sinner, or he must retain his corruptions forever. He 
may be graciously aided and encouraged to put forth the 
volition upon which the moral change depends. But he 
must put it forth, or no change in his moral state is 
practicable. To say that God could, by any act of 
authority or power, cleanse a sinner unconditionally, is 
saying no more than that the same offensive thing, the 
same corrupt state, and the same vicious acts, can be 
regarded and treated by him differently at different times. 
Let the sovereignty of God be the central idea, and we 
can easily see how it would produce this doctrine. If 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


S2 

he designed, in the structure of the Christian scheme, 
merely to illustrate his independence of man, and the 
fact of his unlimited control over the thoughts and feel¬ 
ings, and purposes of the human race, then he might 
have excluded man from all participation in the events 
of his government, excepting as a passive recipient of 
almighty power. He might then have efficiently secured 
the fall and all its succession of evils. But if he intended 
to purify the hearts of men by faith in the blood of Christ, 
he would undoubtedly leave them free to exercise that 
faith. In the same way divine sovereignty, assumed as 
the central idea, could account for the doctrine of certain 
final perseverance, the doctrine of doubt or uncertainty 
in regard to adoption, and of necessary indwelling sin. 
For beyond question, absolute sovereignty would be 
illustrated by withholding repentance and faith, pardon 
and sanctification, from all but those whom God had 
determined to save. The witness of the Spirit would be 
incompatible with possible subsequent evidence of rep¬ 
robation ; and as the final disposition of the soul would 
depend upon God’s sovereign pleasure, a state of full 
salvation here would interfere with that uncertainty to 
man, and appearance of contingency, which had been 
predetermined, and is a necessary part of the system. 

Again: it is impossible, upon the theory developed 
in this discussion, to explain the introduction of certain 
universal salvation into any faith nominally Christian. 
If we are right, holiness is an indispensable prerequsite 
of happiness in heaven or elsewhere; and though this is 
also roundly asserted by the errorists to whom we refer, 
it does not belong to the system, which plainly provides 
for the final salvation of those who die in a state of deep- 


ASCERTAINED. 


est corruption, as inevitably and unconditionally as for 
the purest of Christians. And the wholly gratuitous 
and merely nominal introduction of holiness into the 
scheme cannot save it, as in the absence of volition, or 
the obstinate rejection of the atonement, there is no way 
to produce it. Happiness must be the central idea of 
Universalism — happiness, irrespective of character or 
condition. Employ this idea to construct a system of 
theology, and it would of course reject all punishment 
in another world, or, at least, make the suffering due to 
sin as slight, and terminate it as soon as possible. 

It would, in like manner, be impossible to account for 
the doctrine of priestly intervention, the real presence, 
the worship of saints, the celibacy of the clergy, and of 
purgatory, by assuming holiness as the central idea of 
Christianity. With this for a forming power, we want 
as little as possible of the merely human, the material, 
the ceremonial in the system. The most direct possible 
way to the mercy of God, and the cleansing powei* of 
the Holy Ghost, must be the law of this spiritual organ¬ 
ism ; and this is plainly through, faith in Christ, and 
nothing else. But take political power for the central 
idea of a system, and see how inevitably it requires and 
produces the very doctrines we have mentioned. The 
head of the organization must then be a monarch, 
clothed with absolute authority over the souls and bodies 
of men. His subordinate officers of state must be taken 
from the ranks of the clergy. The importance of the 
priest must be magnified by the exclusive right to dis¬ 
pense the souls of men, and the people must be com¬ 
pelled to literal obedience, by their hope of heaven, and 
their dread of eternal damnation. That which from the 


34 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


nature of the case can only be spiritually present, and 
apprehended by faith must be physically and literally 
present, and be made palpable to the senses. The objects 
of worship must be material or human, like the worship¬ 
pers ; and hence appreciable by the intellect, without faith. 
An appearance of sanctity, extending even to the denial of 
lawful desires in holy wedlock, must divert the attention of 
the people from gross sensuality; and as preparation for 
heaven here, in the mode required is, to the understandings 
of all, an acknowledged failure, it is necessary to make 
arrangements for its consummation in another life. All 
these, with their nameless kindred errors, are given in 
political domination as a central idea. 

In the same way will the application of this obvious 
test reveal what is merely human and artificial in the 
outward forms and ceremonies of the church. We have 
seen that holiness assumed as the grand object of the 
Christian scheme, leaves room for little that is merely 
instrumental, and with the greatest possible directness 
leads the sinner into his own heart, and thence to the 
mercy of God. If this*be the object, whatever obstructs 
his way, or retards his movements, must be foreign to 
the system, and ruinous to the soul. It is obvious, then, 
that this idea could never have added to the sacraments 
of baptism, and the Lord’s supper, those of confirmation 
penance, extreme unction, holy orders and matrimony. 
But a moment’s reflection will show how legitimately 
the false position of each arises from the political central 
power, which we have assumed as the origin of a false 
system. The novice must not be allowed to have reached 
a state of spiritual security, nor acquired a right to the 
blessings of the new covenant, until that security is 


ASCERTAINED. 


35 


obtained, and tbat right recognized by priestly interven¬ 
tion. Self-inflicted tortures, which accord with a sensa¬ 
tional, in distinction from a spiritual religion, must be 
prescribed by the priest, upon obedience to whom the 
wretch depends for the relief of conscience. Justifica¬ 
tion by faith destroys the political power of the priest. 
The diseased or dying man, instead of looking to rational 
remedies and the grace of God in the hour of trial, must 
be taught that his safety, in body and soul, depends upon 
the presence and good dispositions of his ghostly confessor, 
who uses with official efficacy the anointing oil. The 
same officer is clothed with authority, which in no sense 
depends upon purity of heart, or virtuousness of life ; 
which, reaching back in prelatical succession to the 
apostles, is irrevocable in its rights, conclusive in its 
functions, and, above all moral contigency whatsoever. 
And finally, the domestic relations must depend on the 
the same prerogatives. No matrimonial alliance can be 
valid unless sanctioned by a Romish priest. But to 
make all this practicable, these rights must be elevated 
to the dignity and solemnity of sacraments, and hence, 
of course, depend entirely upon the will of the clergy. 
In this manner, a vast centralizing scheme is constructed, 
combining all the elements of immense political power. 

But the theoretical is not always the practical central 
idea. Systems are gradually formed and modified under 
the control of views and aims which are widely different 
from those which originated them. The ever-changing 
ideal of man, in relation to the true good, does not allow 
of permanency and consistency in the institutions and 
means relied upon to produce it. A succession of clear, 
stern, and powerful minds may, it is true, preserve for 


36 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


ages the great idea upon which a vast scheme of selfish 
interest depends ; but multitudes who are visibly arranged 
under its banner will be practically severed from it by 
an inherent independence of thought, and a greater or 
less submission to the guidance of an invisible hand. 

It will hence occur, that many who adopt as a whole 
a theory which makes the sovereignty of God the central 
idea of Christianity, will, in fact, feel that sin is their 
only real evil, and recognize the gospel as a grand pro¬ 
vision of mercy for their deliverance from it. And thus 
thousands, whose creed actually denies the possibility of 
deliverance from all sin in this life, are striving, with all 
their might, to reach this result; and thousands have 
doubtless succeeded, thus making holiness the practical, 
while something else was the theoretical centre; and, we 
may as well say it, for it is a momentous truth, in the 
present condition of theological systems, the safety of a 
vast majority of nominal Christians depends upon this 
real contradiction. 

Upon the other hand, the true central idea may be 
adopted in theory, and renounced in practice. The 
clearest possible recognition of the truth may have been 
handed down to us by our fathers. In our creeds and 
standard authors we may be taught, “that, denying un¬ 
godliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, 
righteously, and godly, in this present world, looking 
for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the 
great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ, who gave him¬ 
self for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, 
and purify to himself a peculiar people, zealous of good 
worksand yet we may show by our lives that a much 
lower aim has been accepted in its stead. Indeed, to 


ASCERTAINED. 


37 


many who have before God and the world declared their 
firm belief in the great doctrine of holiness, mere justi¬ 
fication has become the central idea of religion. A sense 
of forgiveness is all they ask, and they direct all their 
efforts to this point. Others aim simply at regularity of 
external life, and their best resolutions of reform extend 
no farther; while, alas! multitudes of others have formal¬ 
ly adopted the honor of self, the gratification of worldly 
desires, or the splendor of an organization, as the real 
centre of their religion. 

It appears, therefore, that to accept in theory the cen¬ 
tral idea which God has revealed, is not enough. What 
men admit to be the divine purpose in the establishment 
of Christianity is not the great question; but how far, in 
feeling, in motive, in design, and effort, do they agree 
with this purpose ? The real, not the ideal, the practi¬ 
cal, not the theoretical central idea, moves the heart and 
controls the life; and with the great majority of nominal 
Christians, it must be admitted, this is any thing but 
holiness. 

But we cannot conclude this discussion without in¬ 
quiring, Why must the doctrine of holiness be assigned 
a subordinate place in systematic divinity, or even be 
excluded altogether? We have seen that this was not 
the intention of God; and, so far from retracting the 
true evangelical view of the doctrine, or apologizing to 
the world for the importance we have given it, we must 
in all candor ask pardon of God and man for having 
asserted it so timidly, dwelt upon it with so little pathos 
and power, and so seldom reduced it to practice. It is 
the centre of our system. The mission which we have 
accepted at the hands of God, is “to spread scriptural 

4 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


\ 


holiness over these lands; ” and we cannot allow the 
doctrine a secondary, or inoperative place in the faith of 
the church. It must come out from its obscurity, extend 
its light, and its controlling power through every com¬ 
munion, and permeate the doctrines, the hearts, and the 
lives of the people, before Christianity can assert its 
rights in the conquest of the world. In the presence of 
Christians of every name, we demand for it the position 
which God has assigned it. What worthy motive can 
we have in denying it this position ? Opposition to holi¬ 
ness is opposition to Christianity—a real, though not an 
intended denial of the rights of God and the privileges 
of man—a setting aside of the one grand object for which 
the Redeemer died and the church was instituted. And 
when this is done, what have we left ? What one doc¬ 
trine of the gospel is of any use, or of any significance, 
if holiness is excluded horn the system ? As well might 
you tear out the heart, and then attempt to give value to 
the veins and arteries and blood, as to reject holiness and 
still hope to save the gospel scheme. As well might 
you burn up your towns and leave your guide- boards 
standing, as to destroy holiness, and still insist upon 
justification by faith, or any other great doctrine of 
Christianity. 

But, what is the effect of admitting the true position 
of this idea ? It cuts off at a stroke the vast multitude 
of improvements which men have dared to attach to the 
system. It condemns all our extravagance in style, our 
follies in outward forms, and our sins of heart and life. 
It shows every man the value of his work. If he prays, 
or speaks, or sings, for the exhibition of his talents, or 
for the gratification of others, it is all to no purpose. 


A S C E 11T A I X E D . 


39 


Nay, he is condemned for the perversion of the most 
sacred services. We value a popular harangue for its 
power to please and move the multitude, and a lecture 
for its learning; but upon the principle we have devel¬ 
oped, .we must value a sermon for its adaptation to 
promote the holiness of men. What a shameful abuse 
of a sacred profession it must be, for a man sent out in 
the name of God to save sinners, to value his perform¬ 
ance^ for their abstract learning, their rhetorical elegance, 
their oratorical power, or popular effect! Let any man 
clearly apprehend the fearful wrong and deadly evil of 
sin; let him see that God has given his Son to make 
its removal from the hearts of men possible, and sent 
him expressly to proclaim this great salvation, and we 
are sure he will feel that fidelity to his Master requires 
that he should frame every sermon with reference to this 
great end; and he will he satisfied with his effort only 
in proportion to the power with which he has exposed 
sin, attacked it in its most insidious forms, paralyzed its 
influence, and gained the advantage for that holiness 
without which no man shall see the Lord. What a vast 
amount of preaching is found, by this rule, to be worse 
than trifling! 

Finally: it is evident, that, in its spirit and aim, the 
Christian system stands alone. We have numerous organ¬ 
izations for the improvement of society—for the produc¬ 
tion of wealth—for the gratification of ambition—for the 
relief of human suffering; but only one for the promo¬ 
tion of holiness. We know of no other that professes 
to “ purify the heart.” What strange infatuation, then, 
it must be to secularize this system!—to bring it down 
from the lofty purposes to which it was consecrated, and 


40 


THE CENTRAL IDEA. 


appropriate it to the service of worldly glory, and force 
it to gratify a lust for power. Whferever this has been 
done, it cannot be deemed strange that “ blasting and 
mildew ” have followed in the train. Indeed, nothing 
is easier now than to explain the slow progress of 
Christianity, the feebleness of its disciples, and the re¬ 
proach which has so often fallen upon the church. 
Would that all Christians might be agreed upon this 
one thing—to consider Christianity as set apart to the 
work of purifying the hearts and lives of men. For all 
other purposes there are associations enough, while in 
the range of human thought there is no other that has 
the slightest claim to adaptation to produce this result. 
Precisely this is the desideratum of the times; and not 
until it is supplied shall we see the church shining in 
her own pure light, and moving on in the greatness of 
her strength to the conquest of the world. Happy is he 
who contributes, even in the smallest degree to this 
glorious result. 


CHAPTER II. 


THE CENTRAL IDEA DEFINED. 

SEC. I. THE PRACTICAL LIMITATIONS OP THE IDEA 

Without holiness no man shall see the Lord. How 
important, then, that we should understand it! Subse¬ 
quent to the radical change which takes place in conver¬ 
sion, there is certainly a work of grace upon the heart, 
and a corresponding result in the life, included in the 
plan of salvation, the conditions of which are impera¬ 
tively binding upon Christians. In some high and 
important sense we are to be “ sanctified wholly,” 
made “holy,” “cleansed from all sin,” be rendered 
“perfect,” filled with “perfect love.” It is precisely 
this work which we propose to define; and to prevent 
misconstruction, let us state certain negative limitations, 
which will very much diminish the sphere of controversy. 

1. It must be limited by the capacities and suscepti¬ 
bilities of fallen human nature. These are created, and 
, hence, of necessity, finite. He who should obey the 
command, “ Be ye therefore perfect as your Father which 
is in heaven is perfect; ” would not therefore be a per¬ 
fect God, but a perfect Christian, and between the 
highest degree of human perfection and the perfection 
of God, there would be the difference between the finite 


4» 


42 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


and the infinite. The Christian perfection which we 
advocate is not divine, and, hence, has none of the 
characteristics of divinity, as infallible judgment and 
unchangeable holiness. The liability to fall into sin, 
and deserve eternal death, certainly cannot be less than 
that of Adam in Paradise, perfect as he was when he 
came from the hands of his Maker. 

If we were furnished with data for complete com¬ 
parison of man in his best estate, with angels in heaven, 
we should undoubtedly find many important particulars 
in which the human would be inferior to the angelic. 
Our views of angelic character, so far as they are drawn 
from Scripture, assign them a higher rank, in power and 
excellence, than could be true of man. However this 
may he, we do not speak of the excellence of man in 
reference to any angelic standard. We can conceive of 
human frailties and defects, which may co-exist with the 
very best intentions, but would be inadmissible in the 
perfect state of angelic being. It is human capability 
and no other to which these exalted Scriptures refer. 

But the capabilities of fallen human nature must be 
less than those of our original parents. Even the com¬ 
plete destruction of sin would not destroy all its effects. 
As the man of dissolute habits, however perfectly 
reformed, must bear to his grave the injuries of health 
and constitution, which have been the result of his 
indiscretions and crimes, so, human beings, however 
entirely delivered from indwelling sin, will still ret ain 
the inaccuracies of moral discrimination, the feebleness 
of judgment, the moral decrepitude, which have resulted 
from their depravity of character and conduct. As a 
consequence, on the whole, inevitable, there will be 


DEFINED. 


43 


errors in judgment, mistakes in practice, in the best 
condition of humanity. We do not, therefore, teach 
Adamic perfection for fallen human nature. By just so 
much as the intellectual, moral, and physical standard of 
human capacity has been lowered by sin, must the 
“ highest attainable excellence” now, be less than before 
the fall. 

Nor can we regard the perfection taught in the Bible 
as legal perfection, or, such as in itself could stand the 
rigor of divine justice. The law of God is the true 
and only standard of right, as it existed in his own 
mind, prior to its announcement. Like its Author, it is 
faultless and immutable. It was made for man as man, 
with all the powers originally given him, and the destruc¬ 
tion of those powers by sin could have no tendency to 
modify its claims. What it was right for man to do, 
and just for God to require, previous to the fall, must 
have been right and just after it, must be right and just, 
now and for ever. The debtor, who, by abuse of his 
own privileges, disposes of the means to pay, thereby 
rendering it impossible to pay, does by no means thus dis¬ 
charge the debt, nor does the law exonerate him on such 
account, or adjust the claims or rights of the creditor to 
the reduced and destitute condition of the debtor. God 
could by no means authorize or tolerate, at one time, 
that which he had condemned at another. He never 
could exact less — he never has exacted, and never will 
exact less, than the perfect conformity of all the unim¬ 
paired, physical, intellectual, and moral abilities of 
created man, to what he knew, what he now knows, 
and always wilLknow to be the duty of such created 
intelligences towards their Creator. Unless, therefore, 


44 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


the breaking of a law has some tendency to destroy it, 
the stern law of sinless perfection is in full force at this 
day, in regard to man as man. 

But this is far from being the assumed or actual con¬ 
dition of man, in his holiest earthly state. With his 
whole heart cleansed from sin, such are its susceptibili¬ 
ties of moral defilement as that, left to itself for a 
moment, it would again receive the stains of sin. With 
its fullest affections absorbed in God, if not mercifully 
sustained, these affections would instantly wander. 
With all the energies, physical, intellectual and moral, 
consecrated to God, they would be enfeebled, erring, and, 
in some respects, constantly failing energies. But God’s 
immutable law makes no allowances for these failures in 
character or in action, in thought, feeling, or purpose, 
in word or deed, past, present, or to come. In whatever 
sense, therefore, redeemed man may ever be regarded as 
perfect, it cannot be in a legal sense. 

And there are other reasons for the same view. 
Among men,—Christian men, there is an infinite variety 
of capacity; a variety which never ceases, and, of course, 
there are relatively all grades and variations of perfec¬ 
tion in the services rendered to their Maker. If, there¬ 
fore, this perfection be legal, then there is no one grand, 
perfect, and unchangeable rule of right, to which all 
men are alike responsible, but there is an indefinite 
number of laws ; as many as there are individuals, and 
even these with no single attribute of permanence, but 
ever varying to suit the constantly changing ability of 
the moral agent! And the only effect of voluntarily or 
otherwise weakening our ability, is to produce an instant 
modification of the law to suit our impaired condition! 


DEFINED. 


45 


All hence that a sinner would have to do to destroy the 
force of a law, binding upon him at one time, in view of 
a given and actual condition of his moral powers, would 
be to do violence to those powers; for, upon the ground 
denied in this argument, the law would immediately 
lower its claims to his reduced ability, and with all 
Iris glaring defects, simply doing as well as he then 
could do, he would be legally perfect. His moral char¬ 
acter and condition, which, before the reduction of his 
ability, would have been, by his previous law, sternly 
condemned, has, by such reduction, become exactly what 
God requires, and would now stand the rigor of divine 
justice! Upon this theory, law would be no general 
principle, but a concatenation of disconnected facts, or, 
in other words, law would not be law ! We can have 
no such unworthy views of God or his government. 
Whatever changes are going on among men, he is un¬ 
changeable, and however infinite the variety in human 
character, his rule of right must be invariable. 

And yet these defects are actual, and, in one form or 
another, universal. The capacity of man for virtue and 
piety never can be what it might have been, if no 
moral paralysis had seized it. Every Christian feels 
more or less of this feebleness, and marks with deep 
regret and humble penitence, the failures which result 
from it. Not one, who is endowed with true humility, 
could think of comparison with the stern law of God, 
without shrinking in terror. Not one who, informed 
that for everything which exists within him, and which 
has appeared in his outward life to the severe eye of 
God, he must prepare himself to go unprotected and 
unatoned, to the judgment, would not be overwhelmed 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


4b 

in despair ; and, beyond all question, multitudes have 
found acceptance with God, whose disabilities are, and 
must forever remain, much greater than those which 
arise necessarily out of hereditary depravity; so enfee¬ 
bling to the moral powers, are the effects of actual trans¬ 
gression, and especially of early dissolute habits. The 
law is, therefore, surely not the standard of Christian per¬ 
fection. 

If now, it be asked, how these positions can be har¬ 
monized— the law uncompromising in its claims, and 
yet the purest and best of Christians, in actual char¬ 
acter and attainments, defective in comparison with it, 
we answer, “ The law is our school-master to bring us 
to Christ.” God’s plan of saving men is not by the 
law—not upon conditions of faultless conformity to its 
claims, but of entire dependence upon our Advocate and 
Redeemer. It is “by grace through faith.” This is 
the glory of the system. Christ is our dependence, not 
only for the merit that pardons, and the blood which 
cleanses from all sin, but also for magnifying the law 
and making it honorable, — meeting the claims of the 
law for us, in all the particulars of unavoidable defects. 
For this very reason the best of men may say, with pro¬ 
priety, 

“ Every moment, Lord, I need 
The merit of thy death.” 

2 . This idea must be limited by the law of progres¬ 
sion. This law, in its unvarying application to all 
Christians, is, “ but grow in grace, and in the knowledge 
of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” Increase in 
capacity, is the law of our being, the law most obsti¬ 
nately antagonized by sin, and which must act 'with 


DEFINED. 


47 


freedom and power, just in proportion to the extent and 
completeness of our deliverance from sin. When, 
therefore, we are called upon to “ go on unto perfec¬ 
tion,” it cannot he perfection in development. The 
work of sanctification in progress after our conversion, 
can, therefore, in no sense, he the growth of the soul, 
though it is doubtless, in a high sense, the condition of 
its growth. Unless it be true that we are required to 
grow from our infant state in the sense of expansion, 
increase or enlargement of the powers redeemed, up to 
a perfection which admits of no further growth, the 
only perfection offered us in the Bible is perfection in 
character—in the state of our moral natures, in the con¬ 
dition of our regenerate powers, and not in growth or 
development. The work of renovating the inner man 
is to be completed. The - conditions of the largest, 
fullest, freest growth in grace, are to be perfected. By 
Christian perfection, or entire sanctification then, we by no 
means intend any form of completeness beyond which 
we cannot advance. 

The definition of entire sanctification is thus confined 
to a very small compass, and made comparatively easy. 
It is limited by the capacities and susceptibilities of 
fallen human nature. It does not, therefore, raise man 
to the perfection of the Godhead, nor of angels, nor of 
Adam. It is not legal perfection. It is not perfection 
in development. But what is it? 


48 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


SEC. H. THE CONTENTS OF THE IDEA. 

We now proceed to answer the question with which 
the last section closed, or, in other words, to ascertain 
the contents of this central idea. 

Its general expression is “ perfect lovelove to 
God without mixture of slavish fear; love to man with¬ 
out selfishness ; love which springs up in the soul at 
the time of conversion, increasing, extending, conquer¬ 
ing, and wholly superseding all love of the world, in 
its wealth, its honors, its pleasures; all forms of self- 
love which seek to make the demands of self superior 
to the claims of God or the rights of man—love filling 
the soul, controlling the intellect, sensibilities and will, 
becoming the source of thought, feeling and action;— 
realizing the exact spirit of those great commandments 
“ Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, 
and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with 
all thy strength, and thou shalt love thy neighbor as 
thyself.” However enfeebled the powers of the entirely 
sanctified, however less than those of primitive man, 
and though, from the fact of being impaired by sin, of 
necessity for ever less than the law requires, yet he is 
accepted for Christ’s sake, always needing, and always 
having the full merit of his death. It is the perfect reali¬ 
zation of God’s plan of salvation,—poor, feeble, helpless 
man, merging himself entirely in Christ ; “ complete in 
him,” and in no single respect—in no single moment, 
without him. 

But to be more particular, we understand this great 
whole of perfect love to be inclusive of the following 
facts and results: 


DEFINED. 


49 


1. Entire consecration. The terms which we are 
endeavoring to explain, imply this- A leading idea of 
sanctification and also of holiness, is separation, setting 
apart from a common to a sacred use. Hence, the uten¬ 
sils of the temple service, never, under any circum¬ 
stances, to be devoted to common or ordinary use, were 
sanctified —- holv — consecrated. 

J 

By the action of sin, man’s created powers have been 
alienated from their original sacred use, have been 
given up to common, to profane use. To this the 
responsible agent has consented. Voluntary devotion to 
self, to the world, to sin, has become the great crime of 
man — the crime of ingratitude,, of rebellion, of robbery 
indeed, for it takes from God what is justly his due. 
Now, how can the approbation of God be fully enjoyed 
until this alienation of his rights be remedied ? In con¬ 
version, the consecration to God is sincere, but not 
discriminating. The further study of the heart, the aid 
of genuine experience, and the searching power of God’s 
Holy Spirit, will, in nearly, if not quite all cases, reveal 
defects in the consecration — will bring to our notice 
strongly marked mental reservations, in favor of our 
own way. We see that, in many things, we choose our 
own way, in distinction from God’s way, and detect our¬ 
selves in practically carrying out our own wills, in 
preference to God’s will. We see it, feel it, repent of it, 
mourn and grieve over it, seek and obtain forgiveness 
for it, and yet find it returning, with more or less power, 
evincing what is unquestionably true, that the source of 
the difficulty is within us, that a more complete and 
final separation of conscious self, from fallen worldly 
5 


50 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


and selfish elements, is indispensable to required success 
in the Christian life. 

Nov/, that state of perfect love, which we seek to 
define, implies this entire and finished separation, so 
that between the two great spiritual powers, always in 
probation, contending for our souls and bodies, there 
shall henceforth be no dallying, no vascillation, no 
vibrating from one to the other; but God shall have the 
whole —^he soul and body, the intellect, the affections, 
the desires, the will, property, talents, genius, learning, 
friends, time, eternity, — all considerately, solemnly, 
voluntarily, handed over to God, so that, henceforth, the 
consecrated Christian has actually nothing which is not 
held as belonging to him, does nothing but aims at the 
exact realization of his will — reckons all blessings 
as coming from him, and hence is completely absorbed 
in the divine will, and the divine glory. This is one 
fact included in the central idea of Christianity. 

2. It includes perfect faith. In the hearts of Chris¬ 
tians, generally, there is a strong tendency to distrust 
the assurances of God;—no recognized, willing dis¬ 
trust— no deliberate contradiction or denial of God’s 
holy word. This would bring them into condemnation. 
But the unsanctified heart trusts more fully what we 
know to be true, or even think, or suppose, or desire to 
be true, than what God has asserted or proposed. We 
do not at first lose our propensity to criticize, to modify, 
or at least to comprehend, and somehow, rationally 
demonstrate, the great scheme of redemption. We are 
hence, conscious of much halting, hesitating, and not 
unfrequently compelled to grapple with absolute doubt, 
when seeking to confide in Jehovah’s word—to throw 




DEFINED . 


51 


ourselves upon the atonement, and appropriate the fulness 
of the divine promises to us. Faith, in the regenerate 
state only, is therefore, comparatively feeble, unsteady, 
and frequently the result of special exertions, arising from 
emergencies. But, in its higher, clearer, fuller, exer¬ 
cise, it “ works by love and purifies the heart.” In the 
calm, self-examination, the deep searchings of heart, the 
painful convictions, the fearful struggles which generally 
precede the full realization of perfect love, this feeble¬ 
ness of faith, and the unreasonableness of human attempts 
to sit in judgment on the revelations of the infinite 
God, fully appear. The divine veracity rises into a 
clear, ascertained, unchangeable reality. "When God 
says, “ I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye 
shall be clean, from all your filthiness, and from all your 
idols will I cleanse you,” the heart answers, It is true — 
-it can be done — it surely will be done. When the 
baptism of the Holy Ghost descends, and the words of 
freshness and power are spoken to the inmost soul, “ The 
blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin,” 
it responds. It does—it now cleanseth me from all 
sin. What before had been a promise, an assurance 
for realization in some distant future day, assumes the 
verity of a present, occurring, existing fact ; so bold and 
commanding is triumphing faith; and the clear testi¬ 
mony of the witnessing spirit attests the entire com¬ 
pletion of the work. 

Faith is henceforth, full, unwavering confidence in 
God’s word, in each and all his holy promises — in the 
present, actual availing power of the Savior’s blood, in 
the unerring wisdom and rectitude of God’s plans and 
providences;—faith, triumphant in darkness and light, in 


52 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


prosperity and adversity, in temptation and deliverance, 
in all states, and all conditions, inward and outward—faith 
that hangs upon God—that merges self in Deity—that 
makes Christ the sole and sufficient portion for this, and 
the life"to come. We find this our “most holy faith” 
also, in the central idea of Christianity. 

3. It includes the cleansing of the soul from all 
inward impurities. In the merely justified state, we 
are not entirely pure. The word of God, as we have 
seen, assumes it, in making arrangements to cleanse from 
all unrighteousness, those and only those, who are truly 
converted. We have inward convictions of remaining 
corruptions, corresponding with these inspired declara¬ 
tions. The conscience recognizes the stain. We feel the 
struggle arising from unholy elements, “ roots of bitter¬ 
ness springing up trouble us.” Hence, our weakness in 
Christian effort, our inefficiency as laborers in God’s 
vineyard; our oft-repeated failures in representing the 
true spirit of Christianity, and those outward vascillations 
and sins into which we are suddenly betrayed. But, in the 
work of entire sanctification, these impurities are all 
washed away, so that we are wholly saved from sin, from 
its inward pollution. This is well taught in the numer¬ 
ous Scriptures, which present the idea of cleansing, as in 
the use of water for the garments or bodies, and blood 
for the soul. Of the latter, take a single and sufficient 
instance. “ If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, 
the blood of Jesus Christ his Son, cleanseth us from all 
sin.” Those who have realized this cleansing, no longer 
“sow to the flesh.” The enemy called “the flesh” is 
destroyed, and when, henceforth, they are attacked by 
the devil and the world, they are all on the Lord’s side. 



DEFINED. 


53 


This is what we mean by “ a clean heart/’ by being 
“pure in heart.” 

4. It includes a perfection in practical, outward Chris¬ 
tianity, not possible in the merely justified state. Per¬ 
fect love gives paramount power to the will of 
God. Pie who is wholly saved from sin, in every case 
of duty exclaims, “ Not as I will, but as thou wilt.” 
r There is, hence, perfect harmony between inward feeling 
and choice, and outward labor for the glory of God;— 
no reluctance in meeting Christian obligations—a prompt 
and cheerful obedience to every known command of the 
Savior. The wholly sanctified needs no urging, not 
even by himself, to read the Holy Bible, for it brings to 
him revelations of divine love and power, with which 
his soul is charmed;—needs no urging to secret prayer, 
for direct communion with God is his life—his soul’s 
delight;—needs no urging to appropriate means to the 
demands of the church and the world, for his property 
is all the Lord’s, and he is simply the Lord’s steward;— 
needs no urging to work for his Master, for with trans¬ 
parent sincerity he may say, “ I delight to do thy will, 
O God.” Crosses, sufferings, toils in his Master’s vine¬ 
yard, all deepen his sense of obligation and increase his 
gratitude. Happy to suffer reproach, to make sacrifices, 
and to bear burdens for the honor of Christ, he ex¬ 
claims, with the apostle, “ Yea, doubtless, I count all 
things but loss, for the excellency of the knowledge of 
Christ Jesus my Lord.” On earth a pilgrim, with his 
home in heaven, he has but one thing to do, simply to 
glorify God in his body and spirit, which are his. Life’s 
distractions and cares are all reduced to order, under the 
5 * 


54 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


amazing simplicity and power of a single aim,—a pure, 
a lofty purpose, to please his Maker. 

The past has no power to annoy, for that is all atoned 
by the blood applied, of his suffering Savior. The 
future has no power to raise an anxious thought, for 
that is not his—it is simply and wholly God’s. The 
present is all secure,—entirely lost and swallowed up 
in God. Oh, happy state !—who would not give up all 
to gain it ? Alas! what folly to be satisfied with first 
and limited attainments, when experience so sweet, so 
rich and full, awaits our command! What infinite loss 
we suffer, by remaining babes in Christ, “ children 
tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine ! ” What 
wonder that, with our eyes once turned toward this glo¬ 
rious treasure, we exclaim: 

"My soul breaks out in strong desire, 

The perfect bliss to prove; 

My longing heart is all on fire. 

To be dissolved in love.” 

O, could we only know how near it is—how simple the 
act of faith which would realize it, we would not, could 
not, delay;—we should grasp the sacred prize, and 
“ stand complete in all the will of God.” 

With one important consideration we are forcibly 
struck. There is no need of debate upon this funda¬ 
mental doctrine, among evangelical Christians. Who 
can deny that a much higher standard of piety is pro¬ 
posed in the Scriptures, than that which is generally 
reached ? And if it be limited by the capabilities of 
fallen human nature, and hence, not divine, or angelic, 
or legal, or inconsistent with future growth, but exactly 


DEFINED. 


56 


adapted to promote it, who will say it is impracticable ? 
And when it is exhibited as the fullest earthly realiza¬ 
tion of the religion of love, who can fail to be charmed 
with it ? Who, of any evangelical denomination, can¬ 
not, in honest sincerity, say, perfect love, entire conse¬ 
cration, faith without unbelief, purity from inward sin, 
and a loving, prompt and cheerful obedience to the will 
of God, must be right—must be my imperative duty— 
my blood-bought privilege, and henceforth I will not 
rest until I reach the exalted state ? Thank God, we 
may all meet here, and know for ourselves what is that 
“ holiness without which no man can see the Lord.” 


SEC. III. DIFFICULTIES CONSIDERED. 

The candid inquirer, feeling the pressure of theo¬ 
retical and practical difficulties, may after all this ask, 
“ What is that holiness, without which no man can see 
the Lord ? What degree of it is essential ? Is it that 
unmixed, indeficient purity, that will cause every feel¬ 
ing, expression, and act, neither to be wanting or wrong ? 
I mean the deficiency or defect not attributable to the 
heart — to the fountain ? Is the preparation for heaven 
nothing less than perfect holiness — the inward foes not 
only conquered but slain, exterminated ? 

Will not those merely regenerated, having commenced 
to live, though the purpose of that life be not fulfilled 
here, live in heaven ? Infants dying have not obtained 
that for which their existence was a means; will they 
not hereafter ? 

The dying thief—the regenerated dying suddenly 


56 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


(many do so die) —- Christians in times of rejoicing, testi¬ 
fying to their hopes of heaven, believing, should they 
die, they would be with Jesus, and yet who living, 
exhibited not the fruits of entire sanctification ; — have 
these had a preparation for heaven ? Many Christians 
too die, of whom we have all hope, yet had they recovered 
we should not have expected the testimony and evidence 
of sanctification. 

What shall we say then ? that entire holiness, such as 
we define it to be, is essential to the happiness of heaven 
and to admittance there ? What will be done with such 
cases ? If we assert that “ God will cut short the work in 
righteousness,” that is leaving it to the sovereignty of 
God. If to that we refer one case, then, why not all ? 
Sanctification then will be something that God does to 
the regenerated, which is in no wise referable to their 
act, but to their character just as heaven is bestowed. 

What is the truth in reference to these points ? My 
mind is, and ever has been clear in regarding holiness 
as the great design of God in reference to us — the sole 
purpose of the gospel. That to embrace this design, 
labor for the accomplishment of it in us, is what our 
interest demands of us. That to set this before the 
world, and by all persuasions to induce them to seek, 
labor, and fight for it, is the special province of the 
ministry, I as heartily believe. But will the germ 
perish if the fruit be not matured ? Is it only the ripen¬ 
ed fruit that will be garnered ? What will become of 
that for which the season has been too short ? ” 

To this we reply: — We have already seen that there 
are two kinds of perfection — one in character, another 
in development. The first, applied to the body, means 




DEFINED. 


57 


health; the second, full growth. Applied to the intel¬ 
lect, the first means soundness, completeness; the 
second would mean the highest attainable strength, 
power, scope, accuracy. Applied to the moral nature, 
the first means “pure in heart,” “cleansed from all 
sin,” that “ holiness without which no man can see 
the Lord;” the second would mean such extent and 
finish of the sanctified powers, as that they can no more 
“grow in grace.” Applied to the Christian graces, the 
first implies that they are unmixed; “perfect love” 
without “ fear ;” the second would mean that these 
graces are incapable of further increase. 

Now, perfection, in the second sense (of development) 
is a physical law purely. We do not predicate it of the 
intellect. We cannot of the moral powers, and cer¬ 
tainly not of the Christian graces. Upon the contrary, 
we have shown that the law of progress is imperatively 
binding upon all Christians ; that imperfections in 
character, in the moral condition, in the state of the 
Christian graces, are the great hindrances to progress; 
and that it is only in proportion as they are removed 
that development becomes possible and certain. What¬ 
ever may have been the development, (and there will 
doubtless be found every variety) previous to death, it 
must then go on in increased ratio for ever, such is the law 
of mind, and such are the intimations of the Scriptures. 
Whatever, therefore, may be lacking in growth for which 
“ the season is too short,” is thus amply provided for. 
Even “ the germ,” if it be a true one, a “plant which my 
heavenly Father hath planted,” may, as we suppose, be 
transplanted to a heavenly soil by the same hand, and 
flourish in perpetual vigor. 


58 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


But perfection in character must be secured in this 
life. The Christian, to be ready at any given time to 
enter heaven, must be sanctified not merely in part, but 
“ wholly.” He must be “ cleansed from all filthiness 
oT the flesh and spirit.” He must be made actually 
“ holy,” “ cleansed from all unrighteousness,” must be 
really “ pure in heart.” 

To take any other ground, would be to remove pro¬ 
bation into another world, or to make the final prepara¬ 
tion “ depend upon the sovereignty of God,” neither of 
which is the doctrine of revelation. It might indeed 
be said that sin (in some modified form) and holiness 
are to co-exist in heaven for ever, but not by any 
concerned in this argument. So much then, we 
may consider settled, beyond the reach of a doubt, that 
the sinner must be cleansed from sin; in other 
words, wholly sanctified; in still other, be made perfect 
in love; or yet other, be constituted (in nature) a com¬ 
pleted, finished, total Christian, with no corruption, sin, 
or depravity remaining, before he can enter heaven. 
This being secured, he may be in any stage of develop¬ 
ment, either as to the real, or relative strength, or scope 
of the moral nature sanctified, or as to the strength or 
scope of the perfected Christian graces. 

The question as to when this complete work occurs, 
is, as we have seen, a question of fact. In the nature 
of the case, regeneration is not it. By the assumptions 
and requirements of the Bible, and by experience, it is 
settled that its commencement is simultaneous with 
regeneration, or the new birth; and with equal clearness, 
that it is not completed at that time. 

The matter then stands thus: entire deliverance from 


DEFINED. 


59 


sin is necessary to enter heaven. This does not take 
place at the time of regeneration, therefore those who 
are saved, must be fully sanctified, some time between 
the period of regeneration and that of entering heaven, 
or of death. Regeneration is not therefore of itself a 
preparation for heaven—imperfect sanctification is not. 

But the problem now arises, what is the fate of the 
truly converted man who dies without giving any evi¬ 
dence of entire sanctification? We answer, the fact may 
exist without evidence to us of its existence. In such 
case, the completion of the work being known to God 
would be sufficient. This reduces the problem to its 
severest form. If the truly converted man die actually 
unsanctified, (with remaining sin, or corruption, or 
depravity in his heart,) what will be his fate ? we answer, 
we believe no such fact can exist, and for the following 
reasons:— 

1. It supposes antagonism in God; pronouncing a sin¬ 
ner pardoned and condemned at the same time, which 
he does not do, in this life, though the sinner is known 
to be justified and not wholly sanctified. 

2. It supposes, what cannot be true, that when the 
pardoned sinner has so lived and believed up to a given 
moment, as to secure the divine approbation, God will 
remove him from the trial state, and give him no further 
chance to secure a completion of the work. 

3. The continuance of the justified state implies obe¬ 
dience in intention to all the requirements of the gos¬ 
pel ; the law of progress, (“ grow in grace,”) and the 
law of purity, (“ be ye holy,”) included. In all such, 
there is more or less of panting for holiness, of praying 
for it—of abhorring and turning away Rom the least 


60 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


remains of inward sin, and more or less receiving of 
the sanctifying power, through daily faith in the blood 
that cleanseth. The truly justified are therefore con¬ 
stantly approaching the glorious deliverance, which will 
present them without spot before the Throne. There 
hence arises a strong probability that many reach the 
state of entire sanctification, without the knowledge of 
others; and, for the want of well-defined views, or the 
precise style of faith that secures a witness to that 
special work, it may not be known, (as entire sanctifica¬ 
tion,) even to themselves. Such may have a general 
witness, which is inclusive of this, that their hearts are 
right with God,-—that they are ready to die, and believe 
that, if they were to die just as they are, God would 
receive them to heaven. And they would, doubtless, 
be safe, (not by being excused for inward impurity, 
nor being permitted to carry any part of it into heaven 
but,) inasmuch as they have the blessing of purity, 
though not theoretically understood or recognized. 

4. We suppose that to voluntarily omit holiness, in 
desire, in prayer, in the strivings of the heart, would be 
disobedience, and hence real apostasy. This explains 
the backslidings of so many in the church. They do 
not “ hunger and thirst after righteousness,” “ grow in 
grace,” “ deny themselves of all ungodliness and 
worldly lusts; ” do not bear the fruits of justification. 
All this may or may not be known to others. The law 
of such cases is however clearly revealed by the Savior. 
“ Ever^ branch in me that beareth not fruit, he taketh 
away.” " Every branch,” however, “ which beareth 
fruit, he purgeth it that it may bring forth more fruit.” 
Individuals who thus neglect the required growth, and 


DEFINED . 


61 


the cleansing blood, whatever might be their expecta¬ 
tions, if they should die in such condition, would assu¬ 
redly be lost, not in a justified, but in a backslidden 
state. 

For these reasons, we do not think any die in a 
justified state, but with the remains of carnal nature; or, 
in any sense, unsanctified. 

This, as the reader will see, answers the question by 
destroying it. 

But to take another view of the subject. There is no 
doubt with regard to those who are really perfect in 
love ; both those who give evidence to us of the fact, 
and those who do not. They are delivered from all 
sin, and hence fitted, though certainly not more than 
fitted, for heaven. 

There is no doubt with regard to those who, by 
disobeying the law of progress, or for any other reason, 
have lost their justification, whether the fact is known 
to us, or not. They, dying in that state, are certainly 
lost. 

The only question, then, relates to those who, by 
supposition prior to death, belong to neither of these 
two classes. Now with respect to the fact, we are with¬ 
out data for direct conclusion, but we may argue 
indirectly as follows:— 

Either God sends them to hell, being justified, or he 
takes them to heaven, being unsanctified, (morally 
impure,) or he arbitrarily cleanses them, before he takes 
them away; or, we must assume, that he sees in them 
the real fulfilment of the necessary conditions of sanctifi¬ 
cation, and therefore cleanses them, upon the true terms 
of the gospel, at some moment in life — the occurrence 
6 


62 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


of those conditions being unknown to us, or seeming 
improbable, having no tendency whatever to prove their 
non-existence. 

Now the first, second, and third suppositions, no man 
can substantiate, either from Scripture or reason, and 
not only must the last follow in consequence, but it 
contains within itself the highest probability. 

The conclusion from the whole discussion, then, must 
be this. God will permit nothing unholy to enter 
heaven. He has no two sets of conditions for believers. 
All the saved are entirely cleansed from sin in this life, 
through faith in Christ; the only obscurity in the 
system being, that the time and manner of bringing the 
conditions into exercise, may be, in many instances, 
concealed from short-sighted, ignorant man. 

Let, then, the candid inquirer be answered specifically 
thus: 

“ What is that holiness without which no man shall 
see the Lord ? ”—Being cleansed from all sin, perfect 
in love. “ What degree of it is the essential ? ”— No 
degree but the first. The work finished as to its 
character, whenever or however accomplished. “Is it 
that unmixed, indeficient purity that will cause every 
feeling — expression — and act neither to be wanting or 
wrong?”—Unmixed in character, though from the 
effects of sin upon the intellectual, the moral, and 
physical powers, its manifestations will not be absolutely 
perfect. Judged by the stern, unalterable law of God, 
without the atonement, there can be no state here, as we 
have shown, in which “ unmixed, indeficient purity will 
cause every feeling, expression, and act to be neither 
wanting nor wrong,”—but with that complete depen- 


DEFINED. 


63 


clence upon the merits of Christ which characterizes the 
soul wholly sanctified, “ every feeling, expression, and 
act,” is acceptable to God. “ Is the preparation for 
heaven nothing less than perfect holiness — the inward 
foes not only conquered, but slain and exterminated ? ” 
We understand it so, — perfect in character, not in 
development. No foes of God or man, however con¬ 
quered, can enter heaven. “Will not those merely 
regenerated, having commenced the life of faith, though 
the purposes of that life be not fulfilled here, 
live in heaven ? ”— If they do not backslide, or, (which 
we conceive to be the same thing,) if they, some 
time during probation, “go on to'perfection,” not of 
development, but of character. “The dying thief— 
the regenerated dying suddenly.— Christians, in times 
of rejoicing, testifying to their hopes of heaven — believ¬ 
ing, should they die, they would be with Jesus, and yet 
who living exhibit not the fruits of entire sanctification, 
have these a preparation for heaven ? ” If, at any time, 
their souls were pure, they were prepared. The fact 
assumed, that living, they exhibit not the fruits of 
entire sanctification, originates doubts as to their having 
so recently been in that state. They were either 
mistaken, or have relapsed, to some extent. “ Many 
Christians, too, die, of whom we have all hope, yet, had 
they recovered, we should not have expected the testi¬ 
mony and evidence of sanctification.”—It should be 
expected that souls who have really gone to heaven, 
would be pure if they were here in the same state in 
which they entered heaven. But the frailty of poor 
human nature is such, that many, who have gone 
safely, might have immediately relapsed, and had sore 


64 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


battles with themselves, afterwards, had they recov¬ 
ered. “ What shall we say, then, that entire holi¬ 
ness, such as we define it to be, is essential to the 
happiness of heaven, and to admittance there?” We 
dare not answer otherwise, (meaning perfect purity in 
moral character, perfect love which casteth out fear.) 
“ What will be done with such cases ? If we assert 
that 4 God will cut short the work in righteousness ’—that 
is leaving it to the sovereignty of God. If to that we 
refer one case, then why not all ? Sanctification, then, 
will be something that God does to the regenerated, 
which is in no wise referable to their act, but to their 
character, just as heaven is bestowed.” Even character 
need not be taken into the account, if it be an act of 
mere sovereignty. But completing the work of sancti¬ 
fication in view of something which God discovers in 
the condition of a soul, which has so believed and 
progressed, as to preserve a justified state to the close of 
probation, would be both supposable and probable, as, 
to have retained this state, to the end of probation, must 
have included the essential conditions of sanctification. 
The “ act ” of a free mind is thus not considered as 
distinct from character, but a part of it. “Will the 
germ perish if the fruit be not matured ? Is it only the 
ripened fruit that will be garnered?” If the germ 
perish, it must be in this life, and this is apostasy. It 
is then the branch in Christ that beareth not fruit, and 
“ he taketh it away.” If it perish not, it is the branch 
that beareth fruit, and then “ he purgeth it, that it may 
bring forth more fruit.” None but fruit ripened as to 
its character is garnered — the figure suggests this. 
But the word ripe may be, and frequently is used with 


DEFINED. 


65 


reference to development, and then all stages of 
ripeness will be found in tbe garner of tbe Lord. 
“What will become of tbat for which the season has 
been too short ? ” No season will have been too short 
for possible completeness of the work of grace, (in 
character.) Though, in the cases of thousands, it is too 
short for probable completeness. God, for gracious 
reasons, lengthens it out for most of us, and, for reasons 
known to himself, he sometimes makes it fearfully short. 

Three practical remarks, of great importance, are 
obviously suggested by this view. 

1. It affords strong encouragement to justified 
Christians. It shows them that their continued justifi¬ 
cation includes the assurance of entire sanctification. 
That it is a part of the great plan of the Almighty, to 
perfect the work already begun, and that in their present 
state are included decided tendencies to this final result, 
and hence, strong probabilities of it. They are thus 
taught the value of their conversion, and furnished with 
the strongest inducements to press forward, to the 
glorious consummation of the work commenced. 

2. It is a most salutary caution. If Christians 
become satisfied with a justified state, they will make no 
efforts to be saved from inbred sin. Then it will 
increase, — lead to actual sin — to apostasy. If they 
make the assurance that justification includes, the reason 
for not advancing to its realization, they defeat the 
assurance, — they forfeit it—they commit the sin of 
ingratitude — of presumption. Look at the import of 
the act. “ I shall have it, therefore I am not anxious! 
I shall have it, therefore I do not desire it! I shall 

have it, therefore I do not intend to pray for it — to 
«* 


66 


THE CENTRAL IDEA. 


labor for it — to believe for it! ” Alas! tbis is the rock 
on which thousands have split. Upon the contrary, the 
argument ought to be, — “God has done a great work 
for me. It is a pledge that he will do more. He has 
commenced the purification of my heart. It is an evi¬ 
dence'that he intends to complete it. The glorious 
fulness is in view. If faithful to the grace already 
given, — if my faith is a little stronger, I shall soon 
grasp the prize.” In this way, the design of justification, 
and the commencement of sanctification, will be realized. 
In the opposite, it will be defeated as it has been in 
thousands of instances. 

3. The duty of ministers is plain; to set the whole 
work of grace upon the heart, constantly and plainly 
before the people;—to give due prominence to the 
work of conversion, including as it does, justification, 
regeneration, adoption, the beginnings of sanctifica¬ 
tion, and the assurance of its completion;—to exhibit, 
with great fidelity and power, the imperative obligations 
of the law of progress, and the law of purity, showing 
the inevitable apostasy which results from neglect of 
these laws — and to hold out, with the clearness of light, 
to the Israel of God, everywhere, the glorious privilege 
of perfect love; and urge it, not as all the gospel, but 
the grand result sought in the gospel;—not merely as 
a privilege and a probability, but as a duty, — as an 
attainment which we are in danger of missing, and which 
is indispensable to our ultimate preservation in the favor 
of God, and our introduction to heaven. And especially 
should it be insisted, that our usefulness, our power as 
practical Christians, depends, to a great extent, upon an 
early reception of this gracious baptism. 


CHAPTER III. 


THE CENTRAL IDEA NEGLECTED. 

SEC. I. THE FACT SHOWN; 

FIKST, IN THE CONDITION OF INDIVIDUALS. 

We believe that Christians, generally, are sanctified 
but in part. 

1. We remark that the probabilities are not against, 
but in favor of this position. Let it, however, be dis¬ 
tinctly understood, that we speak not now of uncon¬ 
verted persons or apostates in the church. There are, 
doubtless, many of these. But we refer to those who 
are truly Christians, in the sense of actual inward expe¬ 
rience. And, first of all, let no one assume that we 
undervalue the converted state. Pause for a while over 
those who can honestly say, “ Being justified by faith, 
we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus 
Christ.” What reasons have they for gratitude ! 

Their sins are pardoned, and they were very numer¬ 
ous, and very great. The inward corruptions of a fallen 
nature were long voluntarily retained. Thoughts of 
depraved action were fondly cherished. Desires that 
would shrink from the light of day; motives that were 
“earthly, sensual, devilish,” were freely encouraged. 


s 


68 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


Duties, the most sacred were neglected, and laws pure 
as the nature of God profanely trampled under foot! 
And yet, these Heaven-daring offences were all forgiven ! 
God saw the deep and genuine sorrow of their hearts ; 
their grief for having violated his holy law; their renun¬ 
ciation of sin; their rising, trembling, confident faith; 
their living, personal trust in the merits of a Redeemer ; 
and he freely forgave all! What amazing condescension! 
The very Being whom they had so unjustly offended, 
without one meritorious act upon their part; without one 
redeeming element of character; in the pure, unbounded 
love of his nature; for Christ’s sake, did “ abundantly 
pardon; ” so that they could triumphantly say, “ As far 
as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our 
transgressions from us.” This was mercy — free, bound¬ 
less mercy. It was efficacy in the blood of the Son of 
God. What a glorious privilege—saved from the guilt 
of the past! After all this unworthiness ; this strange 
obstinacy ; this stubborn denial of the right of God to 
reign; this rebellion against the only faultless govern¬ 
ment in the universe; after all this, to be freely 
absolved, so that no impending curse lowers over their 
heads; no sounds of wrath fill their souls with terror. 
No wonder that “joy unspeakable and full of glory” 
swells the heart, speaks from the eye, and quivers upon 
the lip, while angels chant anew the song which trem¬ 
bled upon the air of Bethlehem, “ Glory to God in the 
highest, and on earth peace, good-will towards men.” 

But more than this : they are regenerated—“ born 
again ”—“ born of God,” for in this expressive lan¬ 
guage do the Scriptures represent the change wrought 
in the converted by the power of the Holy Ghost. 


NEGLECTED. 


69 


The leading idea of this great work is reproduction ; 
not of the constitutional elements of the soul, for, 
though these have been marred and perverted in vari¬ 
ous ways, they still retain their essential identity, and 
are unquestionably indestructible. It is a reproduction 
of life—life which originally existed in man, but which 
had become extinct by violence; spiritual life, depend¬ 
ing upon union with God—a union interrupted by sin ; 
hence the soul was “ dead in trespasses and sins.” No 
mode of restoring this life could be possible, but that 
which should unite the soul with God. Christ became 
the bond of union. He became our “ daysman ”—our 
intercessor. “ He took his seat at the right hand of the 
majesty on high,” where “ he ever liveth to make inter¬ 
cession for ” us. Converted men, by faith, have accep¬ 
ted his mediation, and appropriated the merits of his 
death, and thus, through him, the elements of a new 
spiritual life have been imparted to the soul. 

But we think some err very much in regarding this 
work as a literal creation; and this leads them to inquire 
whether a holy God can permit imperfection to inhere 
in this “ new creation.” Others are, perhaps, more 
spiritual in a similar conception. They think of it as 
an organic “ change of heart,” and say, it must indeed 
be total. Such a conversion of the soul, undertaken 
and effected by such a power, must, it is assumed, leave 
it perfectly holy. 

But, let us lead you to the contemplation of this gra¬ 
cious work from another direction. We would humbly 
ask you to take God’s favorite language for its expres¬ 
sion : “ born again ; ” “ born of God; ” “ born from 
above; ” “ sons of God; ” “ heirs of God.” 


TO 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


Now conceive of a soul morally dead. Suppose that 
soul, with its living intellect, to apprehend God; with 
its living sensibilities, to feel the impressions of his 
Holy Spirit; with its living will, to resolve upon the 
abandonment of sin; upon real, instant, saving faith in 
Christ. Suppose it done. Now that soul is united to 
the Father through Christ. Now life runs through, 
quickens, and pervades it. No new spiritual essence 
has taken the place of the old; nor is it changed from 
one kind of organic being to another. But it has 
received a living energy from God ; a power that sets 
in motion the moral heart, and throws the life-current 
sweetly through the whole man. This is God in the 
soul. It is God the Father, the originating Life; it is 
God the Son, the atoning Life; it is God the Holy 
Ghost, the sanctifying, witnessing Life. 

And what is more natural than that those thus “ born 
of God” should be reckoned “ children of God by 
faith in Christ Jesus ? ” “ When the fulness of time 

was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, 
made under the law, to redeem them that were under 
the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. 
And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit 
of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. 
Wherefore thou,” (honored Christian,) “ art no more a 
servant, but a son ; and if a son, then an heir of God 
through Christ.” 

Now, observe, we do not pretend thus to have 
explained the manner of the new birth. It is too won¬ 
derful for us. We cannot explain it. We cannot 
fathom the doings of the Infinite in the salvation of a 
soul. Not a step in all that grand process is fully 


NEGLECTED. 


71 


within the grasp of finite minds, though they were 
extended to the capacity of a seraph. 

Nor do we mean that this is the only true idea of 
regeneration; nor claim that it is even the best ‘ one. 
We only mean that we are exceedingly pleased with it. 
It presents the glorious idea of spiritual life reproduced 
in an aspect to us highly illustrative, and surpassingly 
beautiful. It seems to us not only to be vindicated, but 
immediately suggested, by the very “ words which the 
Holy Ghost teacheth ; ” and it must be safe to conceive 
of the life of God thus powerfully operating to produce 
a spiritual resurrection of the inner man. 

We have shown that regeneration does not necessarily 
include entire sanctification. It implies neither a literal 
creation nor an organic change, but the reproduction of 
life. Then whether or not the soul is made perfect in 
holiness and love, at the time the divine energy restores 
it to life, is wholly a question of fact. 

It is evident, also, that in this great work is the 
commencement of sanctification. The very life which 
is infused into the soul, is a pure life, and hence, of 
necessity, a purifying life. It is a divine life, and thus 
an active, holy energy, working against sin, and in favor 
of holiness. It is God entering the soul, to make it his 
home. What else could be expected, than that the 
glorious work of purification should commence at the 
very instant the divine entrance is effected ? Moreover, 
the regenerated man is conscious of the inward operation 
of this cleansing power, and the witness of it is included 
in the witness that he is “ born of God.” Indeed, so 
wonderful is the change produced by the first throbs of 
this divine life, that it is neither strange nor uncommon 


72 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


for the young convert to suppose that his inward 
corruptions are totally destroyed. And even when his 
maturer experience corrects the error, he feels a sense of 
purity in his motives that he never felt before the great 
change; a horror of sin, of his own remaining sin, 
which shows unequivocally that the purifying process 
has powerfully commenced; and the same testimony is 
borne by his life. 

We cannot over-estimate the value of this great work. 
What a work of love — of love divine — is tills surpris¬ 
ing transformation! The soul of man alive from the 
dead, with a clear apprehension of its heirship to glory, 
unending as the being of God! The fruits of the Spirit 
new-born within, love gracefully leading the heavenly 
train ! Its appetites changed from earthly to spiritual! 
Its aims elevated from a world of sin and death to a 
world of God-like purity, love, and immortality! And 
all this without claim—without merit; nay, in despite 
of a life of ingratitude, a life of rebellion, which were 
enough to have vindicated forever his eternity of woe ! 
All for the sake of Christ alone! Well might the soul, 
thus raised from the dead, exclaim,— 


u I’ll praise my Maker while I’vo breath, 
And, when my voice is lost in death, 
Praise shall employ my nobler powers 
My daj T s of praise shall ne’er be past, 
While life, or thought, or being, lasts, 
Or immortality endures ! ” 


But we return to the position that Christians generally 
are sanctified only in part. We trust we have removed one 
principal difficulty out of the way of the truth. And 


NEGLECTED. 


73 


we may now glance at another. Many forget that 
inspired, like other writers, discuss truth generically and 
specifically. When it is their design to represent inward 
religion as a whole, they say, for instance, “ If any man 
be in Christ, he is a new creature, old things are passed 
away, and, behold, all things are become new.” But then, 
“ perfect love casteth out fear, because fear hath torment; 
he that feareth is not made perfect in love,” is a speci¬ 
fic discussion, due in this place, and not in the other. 
And so of churches. In the Apostle’s address to 
the Corinthians, he assumes their prevailing characteris¬ 
tics, and hence writes, “ Unto the church of God which 
is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, 
called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon 
the name of Jesus Christ. I thank my God always on 
your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you 
by Jesus Christ; that in everything ye are enriched by 
him, in all utterance and in all knowledge, even as the 
testimony of Christ was confirmed in you; so that ye 
came behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our 
Lord Jesus Christ, who shall also confirm you unto the 
end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord 
Jesus Christ,” &c. 

It would thus seem that everything was right in the 
Corinthian church; but look further on, where the dis¬ 
criminating analysis begins, and you find “ It hath been 
declared unto me that there are contentions among 
you,”—“ And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as 
unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in 
Christ,”—“ It is reported commonly that there is forni¬ 
cation among you,”—“ Now then there is utterly a fault 
among you, because ye go to law one with another.” 

7 


74 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


But this in no wise contradicts the commendatory intro¬ 
duction. It is a specific discussion of facts reserved for 
this place. So the converted state is sometimes dis¬ 
cussed without analysis, but at the proper time just dis¬ 
crimination is adopted. He who would study the Scrip¬ 
tures safely, must consult the scope of the particular 
discussion, to ascertain whether it is the design of the 
inspired writer to show what is the essential religious 
state, or what the highest, or what are its various stages. 
Neglect of this obviously important method, has led to 
grave differences of opinion, some maintaining that the 
lowest actual religious condition includes entire sancti¬ 
fication, and quoting general texts in proof of their 
position ; others insisting upon the opposite, and very 
properly quoting specific texts to sustain their views. 

Another source of error is in opinions entertained of 
depravity. Those who reject the commonly received 
doctrine in relation to “ sin in believers , 55 object to the 
terms corruption, carnal nature, inward defilement, and 
the like, as too physical, affirming that nothing evil can 
be predicated of spirit but predisposing tendencies. The 
error here, is in attempting to show in what depravity 
consists. This is an inquiry prohibited by the laws of 
our being. Surely, if we cannot know what spirit is, 
we cannot know the manner of its depravity. Our 
terms are physical, because we have no others that are 
more appropriate. There is, however, no more neces¬ 
sity for mistaking the force of the words corruption and 
defilement, than of the terms expressing the work they 
require; as washing, cleansing, and others. Should any 
assert that there is no remaining depravity in the heart 
of a believer, because we cannot tell what it is, the 


NEGLECTED. 


75 


answer would be, we can with no more accuracy tell 
what is depravity in an unbeliever. As well might we 
say, “ the evil man ” has no “ evil treasure ” in “ his 
heart,” because we cannot tell what it is. The fact of 
depravity is evident, and we are bound to infer moral* 
condition from moral phenomena, as we infer intellectual 
powers from intellectual phenomena. 

But it is still insisted that the holy and omnipotent 
God would not, could not indeed, do a work imperfectly 
—that, from the very nature of the case, the new crea¬ 
tion must be instantaneous, and entire. We beg, how¬ 
ever, to suggest, that this is so far from being necessarily 
true, that it is not at all sustained by the analogy of the 
divine proceedings. Progress in duration from the 
point of beginning to that of completion, is the law of 
Jehovah’s works. He might undoubtedly have created 
the world in an instant, but he saw proper to begin it, 
and then go on through a period of “ six days,” to the 
consummation of his plans. He might have effected 
the redemption of man, by the atonement of Christ, 
instantly after the fall, but he saw proper to begin the 
work, and move on through a space of more than four 
thousand years in its progress. He might give us per¬ 
fected vegetation, and harvest, instantly after the depo¬ 
sition of the seed; but naturally, as well as spiritually, 
he has preferred the progressive order, ff first the blade, 
then the ear, then the full corn in the ear.” He might 
have given to earth, a “kingdom of heaven” that 
would be illustrated by the “ leavened bread,” but he 
preferred to give one which “ is like leaven which a 
woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the 
whole was leavened.” So he might have preferred and 


76 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


efficiently secured, invariably, a finished sanctification at 
the moment of conversion, but he has chosen to begin 
the work, and make its completion depend upon faith¬ 
fulness to the grace already given. He might have pre¬ 
ferred a conversion which would have superseded the 
first part of the apostolic prayer, and rendered only the 
latter, “ I pray God your whole spirit, and soul, and 
body, be preserved blameless,” at all proper ; but he 
chose to make the completion of sanctification contin¬ 
gent, and hence inspired the prayer, “ The very God of 
peace sanctify you wholly.” The whole probability 
then is in favor of a progressive, but instantly concluded 
sanctification. Not only, therefore, is it unlikely that 
Christians generally have been entirely sanctified, at the 
moment of conversion, but it is extremely probable that 
they have quite unnecessarily delayed the fulfilment of 
its scriptural conditions. 

2. We may argue from the facts evident to conscious¬ 
ness and observation. Experience, as we have felt 
bound to claim, is generally, if not invariably, in favor 
of the position, that sanctification is at first but partial. 
It is true, as we have seen, that such is the power of 
the change from death to life, in conversion, that most 
who are subjects of it, think the work of cleansing 
entirely finished; or rather, their attention is so wholly 
absorbed in the happiness of pardon and adoption, that 
they do not give calm consideration to this great ques¬ 
tion. Hence they are often greatly surprised, when 
they feel the first movements of an Tmsanctified nature. 
A strong, worldly attraction, perhaps, or a sudden 
assault of the devil, rouses their inward conquered 
enemy, called “ the flesh,” which now struggles for the 


NEGLECTED. 


77 


mastery. Bitter disappointment and deep discourage¬ 
ment not unfrequently follow this unexpected disclos¬ 
ure. Some, indeed, conclude instantly, that they were 
never converted, and fall into hopeless despair, or rush 
madly into sin. But others, better instructed, resist 
manfully. They feel pain, but no guilt; and frequently 
they have a strong sense of the divine presence gra¬ 
ciously assisting in the struggle. They fly to Christ, 
and are conquerors, “ yea, more than conquerors, 
through him that loved us.” When again they feel the 
risings of carnal nature, if they have been faithful, they 
are better prepared, and hence more speedily conquer. 

Now we are not at liberty to consider these converts back¬ 
sliders, because they have their conflicts with themselves ; 
for they have experienced no alienation of affections 
from the Savior, no change of their gracious purpose to 
serve and glorify him. Indeed, nothing grieves them so 
much as the thought of offending him. They resist 
“ the flesh ” heroically, as they do the world and the 
devil. They grieve over these evidences of remaining 
depravity, and in earnest prayer cry out to God for 
deliverance. Yea; they obtain it, and go from the 
closet or the prayer-meeting, exulting in the hope of 
the glory of God. A backslider does none of these 
things. He yields when our true soldier of Christ 
fights. He is a captive in chains, where our Christian 
hero is a victor. The witness of the Spirit is not lost 
in the struggle of the successful combatant. We hazard 
nothing in asserting that true Christians may, and often 
do know, that they have the remains of carnal nature 
within them, while, at the same time, “ the Spirit itself 
beareth witness with their spirits that they are the 
7 * 


78 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


children of God.” The more they improve in religious 
experience, until wholly sanctified, the more they see of 
the evils of their own hearts. Their tendency to sin is 
not so great, because they are living nearer to God; but 
they know more of it. Their spiritual vision is con¬ 
stantly becoming clearer, and hence, they detect deprav¬ 
ity in their own souls, which was before unknown to 
them. Is not this incontestably so ? Who are they, 
who have the deepest sense of their inward corruptions ? 
Who groan most earnestly for deliverance ? Who have 
most of mental agony upon the discovery of their 
unlikeness to Christ ? Certainly, not those who have 
“ departed from the faith ”; not those who seldom pray 
in earnest — whose lives are yielded a sacrifice to the 
world. No; they are surely those who live nearest to 
God in a justified state ; who are most constant and 
devout in the use of the means of grace; whose conduct 
before the world is most exemplary. The discovery of 
this inward impurity, and these efforts to be breed from 
it, are not therefore evidences of apostasy, but rather of 
growth in grace, for which the converted have reason to 
be devoutly thankful. 

3. But let us next inquire, what are the professions of 
the great mass of Christians? They profess religion: 
they profess faith in Christ: they profess a sense of 
pardon, of gracious acceptance, of adoption into the 
family of God; but do they profess to have received in 
themselves the answer to the prayer of the great apostle: 
“ The very God of peace sanctify you wholly ? ” Do 
they say, “ The blood of Jesus Christ has cleansed us 
from all sin?” No, they cannot, they dare not say it; 
for they feel the impurities of their nature rising too 


NEGLECTED. 


79 


fearfully within them. They too sensibly feel the dread¬ 
ful exertions of the strong man. bound, struggling for 
freedom and the mastery. Do they profess to have 
received the blessing of "perfect love?” No, they 
may not do it, for they have read expressly, that " per¬ 
fect love casteth out fear. He that feareth is not made 
perfect in love.” And they do fear, seriously fear, that 
they shall be conquered by their spiritual foes, and go 
to hell at last. 

Now, would this be so, if Christians generally were 
sanctified wholly ? Would not so rich a grace deserve, 
and receive, an humble, faithful, and grateful acknowl¬ 
edgment? Would the declarations of our class and 
conference meetings be, as they now are, a sad tale of 
confessions, with so little holy triumph and joy? Grant 
that many of our testimonies are from backslidden 
members; (and to be honest, however humiliating, we 
must grant it;) if all who are Christians at all are 
wholly consecrated to God, with their souls bathed in 
the ocean of "perfect love,” must not the words of 
their lips burn with holy joy as they declare what 
Christ hath done for them? Depend upon it, this 
almost universal reserve with which the regenerated 
speak of their religious state; this confession and lamen¬ 
tation on their own account, means something. It tells, 
in language not to be misunderstood, that there is a 
fearful sense in which "the carnal mind” yet remains.^ 
It shows, with incontestable clearness, that much of 
inward renovation is yet to be accomplished. Let once 
the fire of the Holy Ghost baptize the soul; let sin be 
utterly destroyed; let love, pure perfect love, fill the 
heart, and the testimony would be changed. What 


80 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


meekness of spirit, what tenderness of affection, what 
strength of confidence, what boldness of faith, what 
spiritual, searching, holy power, would gush from the 
soul made pure by the blood of Christ! W'e are per¬ 
fectly certain that the entire sanctification of the great 
mass of Christians would completely change the charac¬ 
ter of our social meetings; and, if this is true, then the 
present humiliating professions of the church are in 
evidence that its members generally are sanctified but 
in part. 

4. There is a certain peculiarity in the prayers of the 
dovout, which deserves to be carefully studied. We 
observe that most good men, when they pray, beseech 
God with more or less earnestness to purify them, to 
cleanse them from sin, to make them holy. And this 
they do, not in a style of doubt as to whether they need 
such cleansing; not as though they were merely 
conscious of the natural infirmities of human beings, 
and therefore of a possibility that they may have unin¬ 
tentionally, and without their knowledge, received 
the stains of sin upon their wholly sanctified natures. 
This is by no means the general implication of that 
prayer which goes up often with agonizing earnestness, 
“ Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right 
spirit within me.” Sin in the soul is felt as a dreadful 
reality. Its motions have been so frequent, its struggles 
so powerful, that there has been no mistaking its 
character, or its presence; and hence, frequently, the 
very first thing in the prayers of the regenerated is a 
plea for purification ; and such is the power of this 
inward depravity, that it seems to stupefy the soul, and 
render the utmost exertion of its energies necessary to 


NEGLECTED. 


81 


a realization of its terrible evils, and the immense impor¬ 
tance of entire deliverance from it. Hence it is that the 
very prayers offered to God, for an inward cleansing 
from sin, are often cold and ineffectual. 

Good men all recognize this state of things in the 
church. The most devout ministers, as well as the best 
of the laity, make the burden of their cry, O Lord, 
sanctify thy people. O cleanse thy believing children ! 
The Savior himself set the example, “Sanctify them 
through thy truth.” It must be so. Christians gener¬ 
ally are sanctified but in part. What reason this for the 
most earnest searchings of heart, and devout humiliation 
before God! 

5. If the position we have taken be not true, then, 
we are driven to one of two painful conclusions; either 
the great mass of those who are supposed to be Chris¬ 
tians are backsliders, or entire sanctification is a very 
low state of grace. 

If we understand this perfected work in the ordinary 
sense of being “ cleansed from all sin,” as “ the mind 
that was in Christ,” or “ perfect love,” how exceed¬ 
ingly small the number who can claim it! And though, 
we should, as we do, concede it to some who do not 
“bear witness of the light,” the number would still be 
small; for almost all we know are so far from furnishing 
clear evidence of perfect holiness of heart and life, that 
they furnish abundant evidence to the contrary; and 
it must be admitted that, in general, the reason why 
it is not professed under proper circumstances, is, that 
brethren know they do not enjoy it. Let a'searching 
examination be commenced by any one who doubts this, 
and we believe he will soon be perfectly convinced. 


82 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


Small, indeed, is the number in whom the blessed image 
of God is perfectly restored; and are these all the 
Christians there are in the world? Are all the rest 
hypocrites ? Surely, this cannot be. He who would 
thus, at a stroke, sweep away so large a proportion of 
the church of Christ, must have studied imperfectly 
both men and Revelation; and yet he who asserts that 
none are Christians at all, except those who are perfectly 
holy, certainly does this! 

But let us look at the other alternative. Admit that 
the number of the wholly sanctified is considerable — 
that all who were once converted, and have not back¬ 
slidden, are as pure in their souls as it is the aim of the 
Holy Ghost to make them; then, alas! where are we ? 
These inward tendencies to sin must remain for life! 
The gospel makes provision to suppress, but not to 
remove them! Pride, anger, and lust, must arise when¬ 
ever their excitants are brought to act upon the soul, 
and our best hopes can only extend to victory over 
them. Except as the number of converts shall increase 
no purer state of the true church can ever be expected 
than we now have! The world has, in believers as they 
now are, the holiest models of Christian character that 
it will ever behold! 

Against both of these alternatives we enter our solemn 
protest. For all those who hate sin on its own account, 
but who are painfully convicted of inward corruptions, 
and devoutly aspiring after the complete image of God, 
we claim the evidences of justification, and hence, a 
valuable Christian character. In the strength of grace 
they resist, and conquer their inward propensities to 
evil. They pray with spiritual power, and are often 


NEGLECTED. 


83 


melted into tenderness and holy joy. They love the 
brethren. They impress the world more or less with 
the truthfulness of religion. In imitation of their Master, 
they “ go about doing good.” They humbly affirm the 
witness of the Spirit that they are “born of God.” 
They “ grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our 
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” None of these things 
were ever true of them in their unconverted state. 
None of them could be possible if they were backslid¬ 
den. We must not therefore throw them away. We 
must not rank them with wicked men in the road to hell. 
To do it, we must decide against the evidence of expe¬ 
rience ; against the whole force of observation ; against 
the most solemn professions of the men themselves; 
against the word of God, which says, “ Having there¬ 
fore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse our¬ 
selves from all filthiness of the flesh and Spirit, perfecting 
holiness in the fear of God;”—“ If we walk in the light 
as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, 
and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from 
all sin; ” “ and every man that hath this hope in him 
purifieth himself, even as he is pure; ” — against the 
universal opinions of the primitive church; for, says 
Wesley, “ I do not know that ever it [possible sin in 
believers] was controverted in the primitive church. 
Indeed, there was no room for disputing concerning it, 
as Christians were agreed; and, so far as I have ever 
observed, the whole body of ancient Christians, who 
have left us any thing in writing, declare, with one 
voice, that even believers in Christ, till they are ‘ strong 
in the Lord and in the power of his might/ have need 
to ‘ wrestle with flesh and blood/ with an evil nature, 


84 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


as well as ‘ with principalities and powers.’ ” Indeed, 
the judgement we oppose, must be against fact itself. 
This must be extremely hard; and, we submit there is 
no earthly necessity for it. How happy, upon the 
contrary, should we be to know that there are many 
Christians besides those who are wholly sanctified! 

But mark the acknowledged defects in the experience 
of the persons under consideration. Impurities yet 
remaining, show themselves in thoughts, in feelings, 
and desires, which ought never to be gratified. “ The 
flesh warreth against the Spirit.” It is an enemy—a 
known and powerful enemy—in alliance with the world 
and the devil, to ruin the soul. Or, in other words, it 
is a state of mind peculiarly susceptible of worldly 
impressions and allurement; a state which responds to 
the suggestions of the devil, and strongly tends to guilty 
compliance with temptation; and hence the war with 
self, which these disciples are compelled to keep up. 
Hence, also, the many “ fears within,” which harass 
them. Hence the darkness and doubts which distress 
them. Hence the weakness which they frequently feel 
in spiritual exercises—the reluctance against which they 
are often forced to do duty. Hence that liability to 
fluctuation in character, in enjoyment, in life, over 
which they have to mourn. Hence those humiliating 
confessions which they make from week to week, often 
with tears of contrition, in the presence of God and 
their brethren. Hence the struggle which is necessary 
in the closet, and in the prayer-meeting, to be blessed— 
the frequent groanings to be set free. That all these 
facts may co-exist with all the evidences of adoption 
given above, we know by experience ; and from the 


NEGLECTED. 


85 


plain word of God, from the testimony of multitudes, 
and from the actual and relative developments of religion 
in the world. 

But is this all of entire sanctification? Has the 
cleansing power of the Holy Ghost passed through us, 
done its work, and left all these impurities never to be 
removed ? Is there no higher style of faith—no more 
permanent happiness—no more complete deadness to the 
world—no purer inner life—no holier living ? Is the 
church, which we now see, leaving out irreligious mem¬ 
bers, the “ peculiar people,” for whom Christ gave 
himself that he might redeem them from all iniquity ? 
And are they already so redeemed ? “ Husbands, love 

your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and 
gave himself for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it 
with the washing of water by the word, that he might 
present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot 
or wrinkle, or any such thing ; but that it should be 
holy, and without blemish.” Is the present state of 
Christians the realization of all that is included in this 
glorious revelation of the object for which the Savior 
died? No, God forbid. Let us not thus lower the 
standard of holiness. Some bright examples there are 
on record, and some still living, of entire sanctification, 
in distinction from the many who are sanctified but in 
part; some of “ perfect love,” in distinction from those 
whose love is, to the eye of God and men, evidently 
imperfect. And these are so many indications of what 
the whole church of Christ may be—of what it ought 
to be—of what it will be, when he shall have fully 
“ sanctified and cleansed it,” and when he shall “ present 

it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrin- 
8 


86 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


kle, or any such thing.” Then, indeed, it shall “ be 
holy, and without blemish.” O, transporting thought! 
Such a destiny awaits the church of the Redeemer! 
And all that is “ glorious in holiness,” as the privilege 
of the militant church, is fairly within the reach of every 
member. 

But we have a great practical end in view, in this 
attempt at true analysis, and an honest development of 
the state of believers. It is not to convince specula¬ 
tors upon this ancient and honorable faith of the Bible, 
and of the best forms of Christianity known in history, 
though we should rejoice to see the last doubt removed 
from every mind in the church. It is not even to con¬ 
vince the masses of sincere disciples, who are, in reality 
but partially sanctified,—for we cannot doubt that this 
fact is already known to them individually. No. But 
we wish to rouse the sensibilities of the church to the 
character of this truth. 

If it be true, that Christians generally are sanctified 
but in part, can it be that we have no interest in such a 
state of things ? Are we to know such a fact as this, 
and make no inquiries in relation to it ? Have we no 
concern as to the results of the fact? None as to the 
reasons for it ? Can we remain so seriously imperfect in 
our Christian state, year after year, and make no efforts 
to know whether a better character is possible to us— 
whether there is guilt in our negligence, whether there 
is danger to ourselves, danger to the church, danger to 
the world, in so long remaining “babes in Christ” 
when we ought to be mature men ? 

Verily, the mere suspicion that the mass of Christians 
are sanctified but in part, ought to rouse the spirit of 


NEGLECTED. 


87 


inquiry throughout the length and breadth of Zion; 
and the positive knowledge of the fact ought to enlist 
the sympathies, and engage the energies of the church, 
till we can say, in truth and holy triumph, Christians 
generally are sanctified wholly. 

SECOND ; THE FACT SHOWN IN THE STATE OF THE CHURCH. 

“ Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed ? ” 
The reception of the Holy Ghost, in a special sense, is 
every believer’s privilege. This is evident from the 
promises made. John said, “He that cometh after me 
shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire.” 
The special character of this baptism appears in the 
language of the Savior given by St. Luke: “Ye shall 
be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.” 
Now “the number of the names together were about 
an hundred and twenty; ” and “ they were all with one 
accord in one place; ” “ and there appeared unto them 
cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of 
them.” It was hence evident that this special baptism 
was provided for the whole church. St. Peter confirm¬ 
ed this opinion. “ Repent and be baptized every one of 
you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of 
sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 
Por the promise is unto you, and to your children, and 
to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our 
God shall call.” 

Now this could not have been the only work of the 
Holy Spirit upon earth. He is the great agent of 
general grace, and must have been engaged in the 
ordinary work of enlightening, purifying, and saving men 


88 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


since the first promise of redemption. But the Christian 
dispensation was to he marked by peculiar responsi¬ 
bilities, and hence, of course, by peculiar privileges. 
The full inauguration of the Messiah-King was therefore 
attested by the abundant outpouring of the Spirit, which 
was so special as to be announced and described as an 
original gift. 

The instances recorded are ample confirmation of the 
general right of believers to this special baptism. We 
have room for but two: “ Now, when the apostles that 
were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the 
word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John, who, 
when they were come down, prayed for them, that they 
might receive the Holy Ghost; (for as yet he was fallen 
upon none of them; only they were baptized in the 
name of the Lord Jesus.) Then laid they their hands 
on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.” Consider 
also the brief history in Acts 19. 1—7. Paul found certain 
disciples at Ephesus, to whom he proposed the question, 
“ Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed ? ” 
He supposed them to be true believers — regularly 
baptized Christians. Prom both these instances, and 
other similar ones, it is evident that, in primitive theo¬ 
logy, a special baptism, in distinction from the ordinary 
work of the Spirit, was recognized as the believer’s 
privilege. It was not implied in the rudiments of faith— 
in the first conditions of discipleship. It did not invari¬ 
ably accompany Christian adult baptism. It was received 
at times more or less remote from primary faith, and 
hence in different stages of Christian progress. It was 
given in answer to prayer, which, in the forms of primi¬ 
tive simplicity, was accompanied by the laying on of 


NEGLECTED. 


89 


hands. And, finally, it was sometimes followed by 
certain miraculous results, that were in accordance with 
the spirit and emergencies of those times, yet not essen¬ 
tial to the promised blessing. 

But, conclusively, the results required imply the 
special baptism of the Holy Spirit. It is not merely 
the conviction for sin, the repentance and faith, the 
regeneration and witness given in the ordinary forms of 
divine agency, that will impart completeness to the 
Christian character, that will clothe it “ in the beauty of 
holiness,” that will gird it with power to conquer the 
world; and yet these are results imperatively demanded 
in the revelation of God. The church is held responsi¬ 
ble for a state of perfection, for a style of activity, and 
a degree of moral power, which must be utterly imprac¬ 
ticable in the absence of this special baptism. It is 
evidently assumed in her predicted mission that she will 
have received the fulfilment of the promise which is to 
her and her children; and when Christians are found 
without their intended purity, development and effici¬ 
ency, it may well be asked, “ Have ye received the 
Holy Ghost since ye believed ? ” 

It thus appears, from the promises recorded, the 
instances given, and the results required, that the recep¬ 
tion of the Holy Ghost in some special sense, is every 
believer’s privilege. 

But how is this important apostolic question to be 
answered by the mass of believers at the present time? 
Perhaps few could reply, “We have not so much as 
heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.” Unquestion¬ 
ably, however, large numbers must answer in the nega¬ 
tive. They have been truly converted, are recognized as 
8 * 


90 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


believers by the church and the world, and perhaps by 
the omniscient God. Still they are only “ babes,”— 
weak in faith, and very inefficient. They have at no 
time felt the corruptions of their hearts, so as to make 
them cry out for deliverance. They have not bewailed 
their sinfulness for days and nights together, en¬ 
gaged in fervent, agonizing prayer, for the outpouring 
of the Holy Spirit, determined never to rest, until they 
could “ reckon themselves dead indeed unto sin, but 
alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” They 
have not felt the holy violence of faith, that knew no 
denial, and claimed, in present renovating power, the 
baptism of fire. They have not realized the dissolving 
energies of the Holy Ghost, pervading their whole 
being, and filling their souls with a burning desire for 
the glory of God. Or, if so, they have been unfaithful, 
and are now uttering their lamentations by the rivers of 
Babylon, with their harps hung upon the willows. 

Though devoutly grateful for the special manifesta¬ 
tions of saving grace, wherever they appear, the friends 
of Zion cannot fail to see, and mourn over, her low 
estate. Inefficiency is felt to so great an extent, as to 
excite alarm and anxious inquiry into its causes and 
remedies. The church question—involving the whole 
field of its essential and organic life, of its historic and 
prophetic relations to itself, to human governments, and 
to the ultimate destiny of the race—has no one aspect 
so intensely interesting as this : What is its essential 
want ? With all deference to those who seek to solve 
this problem, in other modes, we believe that, The 
baptism of the Holy Ghost is the great present want of 
the church. 


NEGLECTED. 


91 


1. In proof of tliis position, we observe, that. The 
Vision of the church is obscure. From the modes of 
her being, and the nature of her mission, the church is 
required to examine with great accuracy the moral con¬ 
dition of the world. She must study profoundly her 
own state, and the wants and woes of those who are out 
of her pale. But she does not succeed well in these 
efforts. Thousands of her members cast a momentary 
glance at their own hearts, and are flattered by the 
view ; seeing nothing but virtue, where pride, avarice, 
envy, lust and revenge, have their undisturbed habita¬ 
tion. The soul’s reflection cannot reach these depths 
of concealed depravity. The light is insufficient. The 
road to heaven is a narrow way, but do not Christians 
generally think it exceedingly broad ? The boundaries 
of the road, which to an accurate vision would be dis¬ 
tinctly marked, seem quite undefined; and when they 
suppose themselves in the way to life, it is quite possi¬ 
ble that they are in “ the broad road that leadeth to 
destruction.” There are dangers before them, but they 
cannot see them; dangers in their worldly prosperity, 
but they think it the best of fortune ; dangers in their 
levity, but they think it merely innocent joy: dangers in 
their splendor of dress and equipage, but they think it 
only decency and good taste ; dangers in their sumptu¬ 
ous entertainments and fashionable amusements, but 
they regard' them as essential modes of social refine¬ 
ment. There are frightful dangers in the outward pros¬ 
perity of the church ; in her accumulating wealth and 
numbers; in her popular and secular power; but she 
takes these to be the true signs of progress, and 
ever and anon reaches out her grasping hand for more. 


92 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


These are sad evidences of obscure vision. But there 
are others. 

A work of vast moment is committed to the church; 
but how little of it does she see ! A circle of a few 
miles bounds the vision of her greatest numbers. And 
even within that narrow circle, hundreds are perishing 
for lack of spiritual food; but they are not seen. The hours 
and the moments of wicked men all around these pro¬ 
fessed Christians, are made up of eventful crises on 
which eternal life and eternal death depend; but they 
come and pass, with their momentous issues, unnoticed! 

Ear off in the regions of idolatry, what deep and 
damning guilt preys upon the souls of men!—what 
agonies wring and crush the heart!—what fearful cor¬ 
ruption rages!—what distressing doubts hang over the 
great unknown!—what countless myriads are moving 
off, in all the misery of unpardoned sin, every day, into 
the world of retribution! But all this is nothing to the 
church. She cannot see it. She has, it is true, an idea 
that there is something to be done in this direction; 
but, whatever it may be, she seems hardly aware that it 
requires haste; and hence she calculates, with cool and 
exact economy, how much she can spare towards it, 
from home demands and worldly gratification ; proposing 
in all sincerity to send a few missionaries more, each 
year, into this vast field of the morally dead. What is 
it to the church that there are more than six hundred 
millions of deathless souls, unaware of the revelation 
God has made to man—of the Savior he has given them 
—of the immortality to which they are destined—of the 
bright glories of the heavenly world, and the deep hor¬ 
rors of an endless hell ? 


NEGLECTED. 


93 


Now, no light of science that ever dawned upon the 
world can illuminate these “ dark habitations of cruelty.” 
No inquiry of human reason can ever reach the moral 
death that pervades the world. No natural eye can gaze 
into these depths of human misery. No merely natural 
philanthropy can ever explore these abodes of sin. Nor 
can any ordinary Christian sight penetrate this vast pro¬ 
found of darkness and woe. 

But the special reception of the Holy Ghost is a 
baptism of light. He is God, and “ God is light. In 
him is no darkness at all.” It was to this Divine Spirit 
that we were indebted for the first view of our sinful 
hearts. It was his gracious light that revealed the 
cross, and that has led us every step we have taken in 
the way to heaven. But hitherto we have received this 
light in limited portions, just as God has seen to be 
suited to us, just as our faith has commanded. Hence 
this obscurity of vision. But “ light is sown for the 
righteous.” Provision is made to take all this obscurity 
away. The promised baptism of the Holy Ghost is a 
flood of light, penetrating the darkest recesses of the 
soul, revealing its most concealed corruption. Receiv¬ 
ing this, the Christian, sanctified but in part, could not 
return from an examination of his heart, congratulating 
himself that there is so little sin there. Its very foun¬ 
tain of inbred corruption would be exposed, causing him 
to groan in anguish, to “ abhor himself, and repent as 
in dust and ashes.” But to the same mind this light 
would reveal more distinctly than ever its cause of grat¬ 
itude for what the Lord had done—the evidence of his 
justification—the honor of sonship—the open “ foun¬ 
tain in which to wash from sin and all uncleanness.” 


94 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


It is a clear light, reflected from the mind upon the 
word of God. It opens with astonishing brightness the 
promises of the gospel, and strongly illustrates the 
divine providences. It quickens the inquiring and 
active powers, and pushes investigation far out into the 
world of suffering humanity. It reveals with great 
distinctness the “ high and holy way cast up for the 
ransomed of the Lord to walk in.” It discovers dan¬ 
gers that were never before realized. It shows the 
perilous track of a wandering church within the unhal¬ 
lowed precincts of sin. It compels the soul to shrink 
from and abhor the very things which before it has ear¬ 
nestly coveted. It trembles to see that the outward splen¬ 
dors of the church, once deemed the reliable evidences 
of success, are but the attire of a harlot, both revealing 
and inviting illicit intercourse with a godless world. 

It is a baptism of light, uncovering the responsibili¬ 
ties of the church; the fearful power of sin over the 
hearts of men ; the peril of neighbors and friends out 
of Christ; the delusions of errorists in the struggles of 
reason after truth to believe, a God to adore, a power to 
redeem. It more than manifests the fact that “the 
world lieth in wickedness,” which may have been known 
before. But with this strong accession of light, the 
soul sees the danger of ignorance, the guilt of infidel¬ 
ity, the responsibility and power of a love of sin. It 
looks out upon the bewildered masses of humanity as 
they are moving off to perdition, and says, Alas! 
these are my brethren! I have a personal, living, eter¬ 
nal interest in them. I am responsible for them to the 
full extent of the moral power that resides in a con¬ 
verted soul, and lies within its reach. It exclaims in 


NEGLECTED. 


95 


agony, I am, 0 my God, I am my brother’s keeper! 
And lo! he goes, uninstructed, unwarned, before my 
eyes, down to hell! 

e have no room to extend the view. The argument 
stands thus: the special outpouring of the Holy Ghost 
is alone a baptism of light; the vision of the church is 
obscure; therefore the great present want of the church 
is a baptism of the Holy Ghost. 

2. The life of the church is feeble. Christians have a 
life in common with the race, and they have a life other 
than that—a “ life hid with Christ in God.” It is given in 
regeneration, in the union established through Christ 
with the Fountain of life. It is hence characterized as 
a divine life—a life “ begotten of the Father.” It is a 
union of humanity with divinity—a life utterly new in 
all its attributes and functions. The soul which before 
gave out only the manifestations of death, now gives 
out those of life; which before was downward, hell- 
ward in its tendency, is now upward, heavenward. 

It is, moreover, characterized as a life of faith, not 
merely a life of belief. This is the life of wicked men— 
the life of devils. It is a life of voluntary reliance upon 
the Savior. It is faith in the unseen, in the unknown, 
in the non-existent! Taking God at his word, the soul 
renounces all worship of visible, tangible being, in favor 
of an unseen, impalpable, spiritual essence. It renoun¬ 
ces present gratification, in favor of that which is mainly 
future. It sets aside the glories of earth for the beati¬ 
tudes of heaven, which can only exist for the individual, 
when they are realized. And all on the strength of a 
word. 

Such is faith. But let it be strictly observed, it is a 


96 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


life of faith, in distinction from any number of separate 
exercises or acts; in itself a living, God-inspired prin¬ 
ciple ; giving perpetual life to the soul as well when 
asleep as awake; as well when intensely fixed upon a 
mathematical problem, as when engaged in prayer; a 
faith that lives in God, that receives all from God, that 
turns all to God. 

It is also distinguished as a life of love; a life of holy 
delight in the character of God, and a true desire to 
promote his glory ; of delight in the characters of Chris¬ 
tians, and a desire to promote their prosperity; of de¬ 
light in the essential qualities of the human soul, and a 
desire to save it ; a delight in all goodness, and a desire 
to extend it ; a living love, that is a divine reality, 
whether it glows in the fervor of a pure, intense pas¬ 
sion, or rules as a fixed, commanding principle. 

Now, such is the individual Christian life ; such is 
the associated, organic Christian life ; a divine and spir¬ 
itual life ; a life of faith, a life of love, with all their 
implied concomitants and results. 

But in the same hearts it may vary in its strength and 
vigor, in proportion as its conditions are met. Especially 
does it depend upon the measure of divine influence 
received. And this is comparatively limited at first, 
though its smallest measure seems too much for the 
soul in its unworthiness to receive, in its feebleness to 
endure. But experience proves that these incipient 
gifts of the Holy Ghost are hut the earnest of the bap¬ 
tism in reserve, and made to depend upon faithfulness 
to the grace already given. 

As in individuals, so in the church. You shall find a 
collected, organized life, just in proportion to the indi- 


NEGLECTED. 


97 


vidual life of which it is composed. And it is this life 
of the church which we would accurately estimate. 

The individual consciousness of the church, if it 
could be ascertained, would be decisive in this inquiry. 
We may certainly know something of this from our¬ 
selves ; and let us ask, how does the interior life report 
itself? What is the vigor of that life which you pro¬ 
fess to have, in distinction from the natural life; your 
divine life, wholly unlike any thing human or earthly; 
your life of faith, renouncing the tangible, the sensual, 
the present, for the spiritual, the rational, the future ; 
your life of love, fixed on God—God in unchangeable 
triunity, God in doctrine, God in law, God in redemp¬ 
tion, God in fellowship with man ? In all candor, is 
not the inward witness of this life faint, and often inau¬ 
dible to the spirit-ear ? 

Actions report correctly this individual consciousness. 
True, the work of an inward, spiritual life, may be 
seen at the present time, and it is seen. Many are the 
spiritual toils, the works of faith, the labors of love, that 
show a divine life in the church. But there are other 
works that do not subordinate to these; that are not 
merely diverting from the true employment of a living 
spirit; that are not merely accidental or occasional in 
their demands; works that are engrossing, and that 
shudder at the light! 

Upon the whole, the phenomena of a deep, pervad¬ 
ing, spiritual life in the church do not appear at this 
time. The facts, so far as we are able to judge, compel 
us to admit that it is comparatively feeble. The general 
impression, that it is so, cannot be mistaken ; and it is 
distressing to see the expedients adopted, to stimulate 

9 


98 


THE CENTRAL IDEA. 


this feinting life, and revivify the church. r Io some il 
seems that long, loud, and censorious, preaching will 
accomplish it; to others, that special revival measures 
are the remedy ; to yet others, that a spirit of deeper, 
purer intelligence, diffused throughout the church, will 
secure the desired result; others still, think radical 
changes in the constitution and policy of the church are 
demanded; while not a few insist, that the hope of 
religion is in a more critical, liberal, and extended phi¬ 
losophy But sad experience proves that, under the 
strongest action of these, and a thousand other similar 
resources, the church may wither and die. She has use 
for an honest and faithful ministry, for special revival 
measures, for widely diffused intelligence, for improve¬ 
ments in the flexibility of ecclesiastical polity, for a 
sound philosophy. But it may be doubted whether she 
ever had more of these than now, and yet her life is 
drooping. 

It is time to consider the fact that the Holy Ghost is 
eminently life-giving, as well as life-being. His special 
influence is alone a baptism of life. We have had it in 
a small degree. Individuals have felt it in its ordinary 
power and effect. Churches have enjoyed it in a lim¬ 
ited measure. The whole church is sustained by its 
usual general grace; but all this is not enough. It is 
not what the Bible promises. It is not what the Savior 
purchased. It is not what the church of antiquity 
received. It is not what the church of the Beforma- 
tion experienced. It is not what the church of former 
generations enjoyed in the days of Wesley and As- 
bury, of Edwards and Payson. We have too much 
forgotten this grand and effective provision for the 


NEGLECTED. 


99 


emergencies of the church—the very power which the 
omniscient God foresaw would be imperatively demanded 
in the church of the future. We have allowed our 
minds to be engrossed by subordinate instrumentalities, 
and just in the same proportion have approached the 
standard of the church of the Middle Ages. The Holy 
Spirit is clothed with omnipotence, for the very work 
we are struggling to accomplish, too much without him. 
Let the divine effusion come; let it fall as upon the day 
of Pentecost; let it baptize the whole church of the 
living God; let it penetrate the souls of ministers and 
official members, and run like fire through the masses, 
and then there will be life. This is, by way of emi¬ 
nence, a revival It is pouring the life of God 
through the soul? of men, and wrapping the church 
in a flame. 

Clearly enough, the special gift of the Holy Ghost is 
alone a baptism of life. The life of the church is feeble; 
therefore the great present want of the church is the bap¬ 
tism of the Holy Ghost. 

3. The holiness of the church is defective. We have 
seen that the first great law of holiness is consecration. 
It is so because, in every act of divine grace efficiently 
successful, there must be the concurrence of the will. 
This fundamental principle is conceded in the revelation 
of God. “ I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the 
mercies of God, that ye present your bodies [a part for 
the whole] a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, 
which is your reasonable service.” It is an imperative 
duty, founded in the relations we sustain to God as 
creatures, and as probationers under a remedial dispen¬ 
sation. But we must do it. God will disturb our sin- 


100 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


fill devotion to self, his great rival in man. He will 
awe us by his threatenings, and move us by his “ mer¬ 
cies.” He will send us the stimulating power and 
gracious aid of his Holy Spirit. But he will not yield 
for us. We must present ourselves as the sacrifice upon 
his holy altar. It is not till the first point is yielded— 
our voluntary attachment to sin — that he begins the 
work of sanctification. Nor can the work progress 
faster than the voluntary consecration proceeds. The 
full and final realization of that “holiness, without 
which no man shall see the Lord,” must involve the Lee 
surrender of soul and body, with every power, known 
and unknown, of life and health, of attainments and 
reputation, of property and friends, to God for ever. 
The reservation of the least of these shows a will not 
yet perfectly subdued. 

The second great law of holiness is faith, the “ faith 
that works by love and purifies the heart.” 

Another is purity: the word implies it. All the 
terms used in Scripture to define and enforce holiness 
make this interpretation necessary. The divine arrange¬ 
ments are made to purify us. If the conditions are met, 
“ the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from 
all sin” — an achievement so great, it would seem to 
us, as to be utterly impossible; but the infinite power 
and faithfulness of God are pledged. 

The remaining law is completeness or perfection, not 
in development, for eternal progression is the rule of 
God’s spiritual kingdom. We mean completeness in the 
character of the Christian graces especially. Impurities 
mingled with these render them imperfect in themselves, 
irregular in their exercise, and slow in growth. Take 


N E G L EC T E D . 


101 


love as the great, general grace, inclusive of all the 
rest. We quote once more : “ Perfect love casteth out 
fear; because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not 
made perfect in love.” Plainly, therefore, there is a 
Christian love that is less than perfect love; a love 
mingled with fear: and there is a “ perfect love that 
casteth out fear.” This is holiness ; and surely it is not 
beyond the claims of God, or the power of redemption. 
It is only measuring up to the broad command, “ Thou 
shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with 
all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy 
strength.” This is the great principle and sum of 
obedience. Even outward obedience proceeding from 
imperfect love would be irregular, constrained, and 
deficient ; but, proceeding from perfect love, in all the 
details of Christian duty it would be a holy pleasure. 
The will of God would be supreme. Love to God 
would be so intense and absorbing that it would not be 
needful to inquire whether his pleasure is uttered in the 
way of imperative command or otherwise. The slightest 
intimation that any act, however hard to perform, 
however crossing to human nature, would be, in any 
degree, pleasing to him, would move the whole soul to 
do it. 

Such is holiness in its highest practicable realization. 
Of course there has been no time in which the church 
lias fully measured up to this standard. It would be 
true of her in any age to say she is defective in holiness. 
As the purification of the heart is a progressive work, 
there will always be great variety in the holiness of the 
church. Nor do we now compare the church of the 
present with that of the past. Even granting it could 

9 * 


102 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


be proved that there is more holiness in the church now 
than at any former period, it might be more defective. 
For the light, the privileges, and the responsibilities of 
the church are constantly increasing. She may be 
defeated now under the same degree of moral power 
which in a former day would have rendered her tri¬ 
umphant. We seek to estimate her attainments by her 
present responsibilities. 

And first, the holiness of the church is in proportion 
to the degree of her consecration. The grand test of 
consecration is humility. In the heart of an individual, 
the complete domination of pride is evidence that there 
is no consecration. Its partial ascendency shows the 
struggle between conflicting powers indecisive. But 
self-abasement reveals a consecrated soul. That which 
values itself does not surrender to God. And the same 
must be said of the church. Perfect humility alone 
would be the proof of her entire consecration. 

Upon careful examination, we fear it will be found 
that her members, as individuals, have a high estimate of 
self, of its value and rights; that they habitually place 
themselves above their brethren, and, in some instances, 
even above the Almighty! Else how should it happen 
that they are so exacting in relation to the esteem of 
others : so sensitive in regard to reputation; so grasping 
in bargains; so aspiring as to official rank and posts of 
honor? How is it that so much power of body and 
mind is concentrated upon worldly schemes,— that so 
much property is claimed for self, and so little really 
rendered to the Lord, who rightfully claims the whole ? 
Why is so much time engrossed with schemes for the 
aggrandizement of the individual, and so little recog- 


NEGLECTED. 


103 


nized as the Lord’s ? Why are kindred and friends held 
so closely ? and, when God asserts his right by taking 
them to himself, why such immoderate grief, such 
rebellion against divine sovereignty? These claims, 
it must be remembered, are asserted against God, in 
defiance of his authority. Self is not humbled. It has 
not accepted its revealed insignificance, its nothingness. 
It has rejected it, denied it, and preferred its claims to 
high consideration by signs which none can mistake. 
The extent of this practical rebellion is alarming; and 
to the same extent is the evidence of. defective consecra¬ 
tion in the church. No talents, no property, no time is 
set apart to a sacred use, consecrated to God, which is 
reserved for the unauthorized use and disposal of self. 

Nor can w T e make a higher claim for the church col¬ 
lectively. If her consecration were complete, she might 
show it by her humble views of herself ; by her atten¬ 
tions to the poor; by her plainness and economy; by 
her liberal contributions for the spread of the gospel; 
but other and opposite facts and principles are exceed¬ 
ingly prevalent. Her separate denominations are charac¬ 
terized by elevated views of themselves. In the general, 
their arrangements and policy are not adapted to illus¬ 
trate this distinguishing glory of the Christian dispen¬ 
sation, -— “ Unto the poor the gospel is preached.” Arti¬ 
ficial distinctions are daily indulged, that bring home to 
the poor the fact that they are poor, and to a greater or 
less extent prove that poverty is proscription. Plain¬ 
ness in churches, in establishments, is dreaded as an 
evil; and splendor is courted and adopted at the expense 
of credit, justice, and charity. Extravagant demands 
at home render foreign appropriations small and entirely 


104 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


inadequate. Alas! how much of unsanctified self yet 
remains in the church! Defective consecration is marked 
and daily published to the world. 

And what is the faith of the church? Works are 
the evidence of faith, and she does some important work 
for the world. But not the work demanded to renovate 
society, and save the millions who are dying without the 
Redeemer. Hers is a faith too easily baffled, not, as it 
should be, that which removes mountains. 

Next, we must inquire into the purity of the church ; 
not her purity in doctrines and ecclesiastical polity, but 
in heart. “The pure in heart” love holiness and hate 
sin. So strong and decisive are these principles, that 
their developments are visible. It is impossible to con¬ 
ceal them. The conversation, the company, the employ¬ 
ment, will all reveal the inner condition. How are 
these in the church ? The fact cannot be concealed that 
the purest services known on earth do not attract the 
multitude. The social prayer meeting, where the purer 
hearts seek direct communication with God, is generally 
small. The close and searching religious conference is 
thinly attended. The rooms of the sick and suffering, 
of “ the widow and the fatherless,” are frequented by 
but few. The holy communion is dreaded and neglected 
by multitudes. These are among the holiest scenes on 
earth. It must be cause of deepest sorrow that so few 
have the state'of mind which renders them delightful; 
that there is so much impurity in the church, that the 
most trifling diversions will prevent great numbers from 
entering them; that attachments to them are so slight 
as to constitute almost no effective moral power, in com¬ 
petition with parties of pleasure or any species of fash- 


NEGLECTED. 


105 


ionable amusement. By these simple tests, this grand 
element of holiness is shown to be wanting to an alarm¬ 
ing extent. 

But, finally: The holiness of the church is in pro¬ 
portion to its completeness in the Christian graces, 
especially love; and obedience is the test of love. “ If 
ye love me, keep my commandments.” Let us seize at 
once upon a few specific laws which distinguish the 
Christian system. “Love not the world, neither the 
tilings that are in the world. If any man love the 
world, the love of the Father is not in him.” Alas! 
what a fearful amount of disobedience to this most sol¬ 
emn command there is in the church! Take another: 
“ But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord 
and Savior Jesus Christ.” And another: “Follow 
peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man 
shall see the Lord.” Mark this law of progress. See 
with what authority we are called upward in the divine 
life. But disobedience defeats these splendid schemes 
of divine love. We do not love God further than we 
obey him. Our Very feeble and imperfect obedience 
reveals a sad deficiency of love. 

In all the great elements of holiness, then, the church 
is seriously defective. And the remedy — what is the 
remedy? is a question of the gravest importance. We 
have not been wanting in experiments. The common 
resort is reformation of life, attempted by thousands 
from deepest conviction of want, and in the utmost sin¬ 
cerity, but followed by the most lamentable failures. 
The reason is obvious. It is an effort to purify the 
streams while the fountain remains corrupt. Discipline 
is another mode of purifying the church. But the power 


100 


THE CENT 11AL IDEA 


to execute it is insufficient; tlie subjects are too numer 
dus ; the light to discriminate them is too dim. 

The reception of the Holy Ghost, is a baptism of 
holiness. He is, by way of eminence, the Holy Ghost, 
as the sanctifier of believers, as the great source and 
efficient agent of holiness in the church. He alone can 
give the light which reveals the necessity of purifica¬ 
tion. He alone can move the great deep of the heart to 
abhor sin, and pant for holiness. He alone can excite 
that abandonment of self, that complete reliance upon 
Christ, which consecration implies. His power can 
cleanse and renovate the soul; can fill it with “ perfect 
love.” This is making the tree good. It is thoroughly 
cleansing the fountain. And may it not be a general 
blessing ? It is the church, the whole church, that 
needs this purification. Its worldly tendencies mar its 
distinctive character. Its corruptions cripple its ener¬ 
gies. Its imperfections make it fearful, where the bold, 
est courage is demanded. 

The special outpouring of the Holy Spirit, is alone a 
baptism of holiness; the holiness of the church is 
defective, therefore the great want of the church is a 
baptism of the Holy Ghost. 

4. The power of the church is inadequate. Her 
power over herself is especially so. She needs control. 
She needs government with a strong hand. Made up of 
frail and sinful human nature, she reveals decided ten¬ 
dencies to the world, to self-gratification, to an abandon¬ 
ment of her first principles. She must, from some 
source, have power to check these tendencies, or she 
will cease to be the salt of the earth. To speak of them 
to utter solemn and repeated warnings, to correct indi- 


NEGLECTED. 


107 


viduals here and there, will not suffice. There is needed 
a moral energy, that will move through the masses of 
the church, command their attention, and really arrest 
their downward career, fix their hearts and wills upon 
the great aim of probation, and secure a general spirited 
devotion to it. 

Strong conservative power is constantly needed, or 
pure doctrines revealed from Heaven will be sacrificed 
to the pride of intellect, the rashness of speculation, or 
the neglect of indolence. Her morals, which glow with 
celestial light, will be trampled in the dust; her insti¬ 
tutions, pure, simple and elevating, will deteriorate into 
unmeaning forms, and at length be wholly superseded 
by the inventions of men; her primitive government will 
be despised and abandoned, in favor of spiritual des¬ 
potism or irresponsible anarchy. The power of a 
wholesome, vigorous discipline, must “ mark the un¬ 
ruly,” and separate from visible communion, such as 
wall not be reformed, and are contaminating in their 
influence upon others. * 

The church, to accomplish her mission, must also be 
endowed with a strong and increasing aggressive power; 
a power that will be stronger than sin; that will not 
hesitate to attack it in high places; that will move for¬ 
ward her reforming agencies with steadiness and effect, 
into all lands, and against all resistance. She must have 
a social power, that will silently and unobtrusively per¬ 
meate all classes, and all governments, subduing the 
fierce passions of men, arresting the career of ambition, 
and meliorating the condition of the race. 

We have no hesitancy in claiming this moral power, 
to a greater or less extent, for the church in all ages. 


108 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


But it is too feeble. A sad want of power is extensively 
felt at the present time. The marked defects of the 
church are partially seen, are acknowledged ; but there 
seems to be little power to remedy them. Her dangers 
are deplored, but there is no power to avoid them. Rad¬ 
ical tendencies and retrograde movements, are viewed 
by the few with deepest alarm ; but they are breaking 
over every barrier, and moving on to destruction, with 
force apparently irresistible. The want of power in 
discipline is most lamentably evident. That there are 
many ungodly persons in the church, under whose 
baneful influence she mourns and labors, there can be 
no question. But what body of Christians feels that it 
has power to purge itself from this corruption ? Efforts 
are frequently made, but they are seldom thorough. 
Eew pastors can feel themselves sustained in a candid 
and impartial administration, that will remove all who 
dishonor the church, and are injured rather than bene¬ 
fited by the false assurances derived from her honorable 
protection and guaranty. 

And how inefficient is our aggressive power ! How 
bold and obtrusive, and even triumphant, is sin in our 
presence! How little power have we to reach those 
who are perishing around us! We see some of them. 
We lament their doom, but have no strength to avert it. 
We direct our arrows well, but there is not power 
enough in the arm to drive them to the heart. We have 
men to send into every heathen land beneath the sun, 
but we have not power to send them. The church 
abounds in wealth, but she cannot command it. Provi¬ 
dence is throwing open a thousand doors to the great 
field of her future triumph, but she does not, cannot, 


NEGLECTED. 


109 


enter them. Alas! how feeble those energies which 
might he clothed with omnipotence ! 

It is in vain to grasp for secular power to supply this 
defect. History shows that this is weakness, rather than 
strength. It has been the bane of the church in all 
ages. Her true “ weapons are not carnal, but spiritual, 
and mighty through God to the pulling down of strong 
holds.” The elements of her strength are not num¬ 
bers, nor wealth, nor popular favor. The outpouring 
of the Spirit of God is alone a baptism of power. With 
this renovating influence, the church might gird herself 
for the conquest of the world. This, where it is full and 
general, takes away the cause of her weakness, stimulates 
with amazing energy every power of her being, and 
thrusts her out for the realization of her destiny. Under 
such a divine afflatus, the dead revive, the timid be¬ 
come courageous, the weak are nerved with supernatural 
strength, and the sacramental host of God’s elect marches 
on to triumph and glory. 

This, then, is the argument. The special outpouring 
of the divine Spirit is alone a baptism of power; the 
power of the church is inadequate; therefore the great 
want of the church is a baptism of the Holy Ghost. 

In its combined strength it stands thus. Inasmuch as 
the vision of the church is obscure, the life of the 
church feeble, the holiness of the church deficient, and 
the power of the church inadequate; and as the special 
gift of the Holy Ghost, promised in the gospel, is alone 
a baptism of light, a baptism of life, a baptism of holi¬ 
ness, and a baptism of power, it follows conclusively 
that the baptism of the Holy Ghost is the great present 
want of the church. 

10 


110 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


We have thus certainly found reasons for much care 
ful reflection in examining the condition of individuals, 
and of the church. Surely nothing further is necessary 
to show the great central idea of Christianity neglected. 


SEC. II. THE FACT ACCOUNTED FOR ; 

FIRST: NOT BY WANT OF TIME BUT OF ATTENTION. 

We have seen that the central idea of Christianity is, 
to a very great extent, practically neglected, and that, as 
a consequence, Christians generally are sanctified but in 
part. We now propose to ask why it is so? 

1. It cannot be because there has not been sufficient 
time since their conversion. This may have been the 
secret, if not avowed, impression of many. They were 
not wholly sanctified when they were justified. This 
they have learned by experience, if they did not from 
the Bible, where it is clearly taught: and they have 
argued that time is necessary for the completion of the 
work—how much time they know not; but a long 
time; and, at length, it has been, perhaps in many cases, 
unconsciously extended to the period of death. In this 
way, with a few, weeks and months, but with most, 
years—many long years, have passed, and the time for 
their entire consecration has not yet arrived. 

But why might not the work have been sooner com¬ 
pleted? Sin was pardoned, and the soul regenerated, 
thus removing the obstacles to the work, though not 
fulfilling the conditions of it. There is surely no time 
fixed in the Scriptures, which must elapse before the 
work can be accomplished. The Savior prays for his 


NEGLECTED. 


Ill 


disciples, “ Sanctify them through thy truth,” assuming 
that they were all at that time eligible to this great 
blessing. And in view of the same fact, Paul prays, 
“ The very God of peace sanctify you wholly.” The 
only one pre-requisite seems to be the Christian or con¬ 
verted state. Even “ babes in Christ ” are exhorted to 
“ go on to perfection; ” and all believers are included in 
the command, “ Be ye holy, for I am holy.” The want 
of time has not been the difficulty. Alas, how many 
gracious privileges have been neglected! how long have 
most of us been called to holiness! what darkness and 
condemnation have we brought upon our souls by 
refusing the call, or postponing attention to it to another 
period! All of which clearly shows, that, had we given 
the subject suitable consideration, we might have been 
long since wholly saved from sin. 

Indeed, there has been such variety in the periods of 
entire sanctification, as to show clearly that no specific 
time must elapse before the converted man may enter 
into the rest of perfect love. In a few instances, we 
believe, the blessing has been received so soon after 
regeneration, as to make the periods seem entirely iden¬ 
tical ; and all times, from this infant state to the great¬ 
est age of Christians on earth, have been found available 
for this gracious work. But reasons vast as eternity 
may be urged in favor of entering early in our Christian 
state upon this glorious privilege of the sons of God. 
What dangers beset the path of those who are but 
partially sanctified! What numbers backslide! What 
numbers are finally lost, by neglecting the present 
imperative call to holiness of heart and life! And what 
can be gained by delay ? How many have been com- 


112 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


pelled to own, that they have lost much; lost the favor 
of God; lost growth in grace; lost the power of useful¬ 
ness ; lost interest in the subject; become dead weights 
upon the church, merely by delaying the work of full 
consecration! Time ! dear brethren ; there has been no 
want of time. But let us rouse ourselves to a consider¬ 
ation of our present duty, our present privilege, or the 
favored time—the last time for this holy work, will have 
gone by forever. 

It cannot he because entire salvation has not been our 
privilege and duty. The great declaration, “It is the 
will of God, even your sanctification,” has been always 
true of every believer. It has always been a direct 
revelation to every Christian. Of what one of all God’s 
dear children can it be said, He is an exception; she 
cannot have the blessing ? "Who would say. The blood 
of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin all the converted, 
who will fully appropriate it, except such as these? 
Who could say, If we confess our sins, he is faithful and 
just to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, but not you ? 
No such exceptions are made. The blessed privilege is 
as general as the church of the living God. To you, to 
every soul delivered from the guilt of sin, the charge is 
given; “Wherefore come ye out horn among them, 
[the worldly,] and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and 
touch not the unclean tiling; and I will receive you; 
and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons 
and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.” “ Having, 
therefore, these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse 
ourselves [in the blood of Christ, at once] from all 
filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in 
the fear of God.” To every one the entreaty is addressed, 


NEGLECTED. 


113 


“ I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies 
of God, that ye present your bodies [a part for the whole] 
a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is 
your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this 
world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your 
mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and accepta¬ 
ble, and perfect will of God.” For every converted 
man and woman the prayer is fervently urged at the 
throne of grace: “ The very God of peace sanctify you 
wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit, and soul, 
and body, be preserved blameless unto the coming of our 
Lord Jesus Christ.” And how inspiring the promise 
that is added, “ Faithful is he that calleth you, who also 
will do it! ” Let no believer, therefore, indulge the 
apprehension that he is excluded from the high and holy 
privilege. These scriptures, as we see, hush every fear, 
and call every soul up to this perfect standard. And 
why this general delay ? 

2. We fear attention has not been called so distinctly 
and forcibly to the doctrine of holiness as it should have 
been. Sermons have too generally stopped short of it. 
Other fundamental doctrines of the gospel have been 
allowed paramount attention—whereas it has been fully 
shown that they all depend upon this for their signifi¬ 
cance, and all point to it as their ultimate aim; and 
we must express the fear that even philosophical dis¬ 
cussions, polemical divinity, splendid rhetoric and orator¬ 
ical displays have not unfrequently been deemed more 
important to assembled multitudes, hungering for the 
bread of life, than the great doctrine of entire sactifica- 
tion. 

Pastoral visitations have been made, and repeated time 
10* 


114 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


and again, without a word or a hint upon this great privi¬ 
lege of believers. Prayers have been offered in the 
house of God, around the family altar, and by the bed 
of the sick and dying, but with no such distinct allusion 
to the duty of present, full salvation, as to inform, con¬ 
vince, and arouse the soul to take hold of it as the pur¬ 
chased inheritance of every believer! How, in view of 
these facts, can it he matter of surprise that Christians 
generally are sanctified but in part ? 

3. We do not make it a distinct subject of study. 
The Bible is full of it; but how many read the Bible 
without ever observing that it contains provisions 
for our entire salvation in this life! How many, who 
are fully aware of this truth, allow the positive com¬ 
mands — the gracious promises — the ample illustrations 
which relate to it, to meet their eyes almost daily, with¬ 
out ever pausing to ponder them! How many, who 
believe sincerely that it is both their privilege and duty 
to be cleansed from all sin, never make a serious effort 
to use the word of God as a guide to that rich grace 
Must not all such inevitably remain unsanctified ? 

We have many excellent writings upon this subject; 
hut who read them ? We fear hut a small proportion of 
those who are sanctified but in part. Christian litera¬ 
ture has given great prominence to the doctrine of 
perfect love. But will not the truth compel the confes¬ 
sion, that the majority of the church utterly neglect the 
great productions of our master minds upon this subject ? 
We cannot say that Christians, the class under consid¬ 
eration, deliberately prefer a work of fiction to a search¬ 
ing book on Christian Perfection; but we must say, 
that, in multitudes of instances, the entire neglect 


NEGLECTED. 


115 


of works of this kind has prepared the way for that 
vicious taste which is now ruining the characters of 
thousands, and “drowning men’s souls in perdition.” 
And to what purpose have devout, and even splendid 
men of different Christian communions, addressed their 
brethren upon this subject, in cogent arguments and pa¬ 
thetic appeals ? In a few instances, the results have 
been highly encouraging; but, generally, it must be 
confessed, the response is either cold neglect, or stern 
opposition. Whoever would, therefore, honestly en¬ 
deavor to explain the imperfect sanctification of the 
church, must, we are sure, add this reason also: the 
pure and excellent books which pour a flood of light 
upon this great question, are not read! 

Serious reflection is a powerful means of sanctification. 
Frequent, honest, self-examination detects the remaining 
depravity of the heart, begets an inward loathing of self, 
extorts the cry, “ Create in me a clean heart, O God,” 
and sends the panting, earnest spirit to the blood that 
cleanseth from all sin. Deep and searching study of the 
character of God, the nature of his law, the state of the 
soul, the remedies of the atonement, leads directly to 
the same result. Are we not, therefore, obliged to be¬ 
lieve that those among us who are not aroused to a sense 
of their remaining sins, and who are not athirst for God 
and for holiness, neglect reflection upon this theme of 
really profound and thrilling interest ? And is not this 
another clear ray of light upon the important question 
which we are endeavoring to solve ? 


116 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


SECOND; WANT OF SPECIAL PRAYER AND CONVICTION. 

1. We do not make it a subject of prayer, as our duty, 
and its immense importance demand. Is there not gen ■ 
erally a want of definiteness in our prayers ? How com¬ 
monly do we pray to be blessed, to be delivered from 
our enemies, to be saved, in such general terms as to 
show that our minds are not fixed distinctly upon any 
thing! But even when many wants are fully realized, 
and successfully urged at the throne of grace, is this want 
of entire purity likely to be among them ? Do Chris¬ 
tians generally go away to the closet feeling the burden 
of inward sin, and, with the distinct conception of a 
possible present deliverance from it, fall down before 
God expressly to pray for it ? Is the total radical cure 
of sinful tendencies—the fulness of perfect love—the 
specific blessing usually prayed for by the converted ? 
Bar from it; and yet it is clearly included in the prayer 
composed for disciples by the Savior himself: “ Thy will 
be done [by me] on earth, as it is done [by angels] in 
heaven.” In attempting obedience to the great com¬ 
mand, “ Ask, and ye shall receive,” we cannot, I think, 
be too explicit in fixing our minds upon the very bless¬ 
ing we desire; nor need we be surprised if, failing to 
ask entire deliverance from sin, we fail to receive it. 

Is there not, also, a great want of fervor in our pray¬ 
ers, even when we think to ask the blessing of a clean 
heart ? How frequently is it named, merely as a thing 
of course, without feeling, without concern, without 
agony of soul on account of our remaining sins, without 
importunity! The suppliant leaves the throne of grace 


NEGLECTED. 


117 


without being aware that he has on his knees felt his 
corruptions to he a burden, without a solemn impression 
that he is henceforth, by sacred covenant, entirely con¬ 
secrated to God, solely for the reason that no such things 
have occurred. Had the subject been'carefully studied 
before prayer—had the soul devoutly yielded to the 
powerful convictions which such study produces, and 
then gone away expressly to lay this great matter before 
God, we are sure no mere indistinct allusion to the subject 
would produce satisfaction—no mere mention of the 
great blessing would relieve the agony of the spirit. 
The importunity of the widow would characterize every 
petition ; the fervor of the psalmist would be again ex¬ 
hibited, as the soul exclaimed, in broken accents, “ As 
the hart panteth after the water-brooks, so panteth my 
soul after thee, O God; ” “ My heart and my flesh crieth 
out for the living God.” We may be well assured that 
the cleansing baptism of the Holy Ghost will never be 
given to the cold desire, the half-hearted request. Cer¬ 
tainly this very style of praying must of itself go far 
toward explaining the imperfect sanctification of the 
church. 

And are we not too unsteady in our prayers ? We 
are often deeply convicted by the Holy Spirit of the 
necessity of purification. Under the power of this con¬ 
viction, we cry out for full salvation; but the occasion 
passes, and we suffer our interest in the subject to die 
away! Our prayers assume the common style, until 
some other powerful excitement rouses us again to the 
mighty work. But nothing is promised to such insta¬ 
bility. We must bow our souls under the cross, to 
remain there ; we must make our covenant never to be 


118 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


broken ; our prayers must be urged till the request be 
granted. The very general failure of prayers is a 
strong intimation that they have not been steady—not 
persevering. 

And, finally, is not the want of faith in prayer the 
grand defect which explains all others ? Faith, had it 
been clear, strong and unwavering, could not have left 
so many of us in our present state of imperfect sancti¬ 
fication. The Holy Spirit has power to cleanse; the 
blood of Christ must prevail, if we will only appropriate 
it. Faith that casts the soul forever upon the merit of 
Christ, for this very object, must be triumphant. But 
how unbelieving have been the souls which have long 
felt the need of this gracious work! Unbelief, that we 
must admit to be without reason, without excuse, has 
strangely paralyzed the energies of the church, and ex¬ 
tensively defeated the glorious purpose of the Redeemer 
to “ purify to himself a peculiar people, zealous of 
good works, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such 
thing.” How can it be otherwise ? What can be more 
palpably inconsistent, than for any man to say with his 
lips, “ Create in me a clean heart, O God! ” and in his 
heart, “ I do not believe thou canst do it! Sanctify me 
wholly ; but I do not believe it is thy will that I should 
be thus sanctified! c Cleanse thou me from secret faults/ 
but I expect no such thing to occur ! Give me the 
mind that was in Christ: but such a thing is impossi¬ 
ble.” And is not this a true representation of much 
of the praying which is done in the church, for entire 
salvation ? Such prayers cannot succeed. 

2. The great doctrine of holiness, as an experimental 
and practical doctrine, has not been admitted into the 


NEGLECTED. 


119 


convictions and affections of the church generally. 
Multitudes deny it outright. Many others barely admit 
it as a possibility. And many believe it as a part of 
their creed, merely intending, at some other time, to 
give it consideration! These are facts which none can 
deny. Many reasons may be given. Inward corrup¬ 
tions oppose the study of it, and resist all attempts to 
reduce it to practice. The world, in its spirit, bears up 
against it with a dreadful force. The devil never ceases 
to exert himself to conceal it from our eyes; and if he 
fails in this, his final effort is to distort our views of it, 
and postpone the period of its serious consideration. 
An affected or real timidity prevents most professors of 
religion from mentioning the subject for years and years 
together. Nearly all the great efforts at reform are 
directed to the conduct, and not to the heart—to the 
streams, and not to the fountain. How often do sin¬ 
cere men bow before God in the morning, with the 
devout desire to live that day without sin! The purpose 
is solemnly formed to do so; the aid of the Holy Spirit 
is invoked in carrying out the noble purpose; but 
scarcely an hour passes, before the worldly, sinful ele¬ 
ments within break out anew. The day passes, and leaves 
Upon the soul its fearful burden! Sad repentance, or carnal 
stupidity, ends it; and the morning comes but to renew 
the same demands, the same resolutions, the same delin¬ 
quencies, and the same sadness of heart. The holy 
Bible explains the grievous cause of all their trouble! 
It is within them. If they were cleansed from all 
unrighteousness—if they were filled with holiness and 
love—how sweet would be their rest—how strong their 
faith—how bright their joys. Days and nights would 


120 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


move quietly on—no disturbing force would be * effi¬ 
cient to destroy their equilibrium. The fountain puri¬ 
fied would send out its streams of holy love, of perfect 
patience, and triumphant bliss. 

But all this occurs only with a few—the devout, the 
simple-hearted, thoughtful, trusting few! The great 
multitude hold the preparations for these grand results 
at a great distance; tremble for fear when they are men¬ 
tioned ; and as soon as decent etiquette will allow, waive 
the subject in favor of something less difficult, less con¬ 
demning, more popular. Perhaps a theme directly 
worldly, is preferred to the glorious truth, that “ the 
blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin.” This is 
an outside matter—a thing to be mentioned but seldom, 
and never to be urged ; foreign from the deep convic¬ 
tions, and ardent love of the church! This, of itself, 
we are sure, would answer the question. Why are Chris¬ 
tians generally sanctified but in part ? . 


SEC. HI. TIIE FACT DEPRECATED. 

FIRST; CONSEQUENCES TO NEGLECTERS. 

The fact, that Christians generally are sanctified but 
in part, has been shown, and accounted for. In the 
fear of God let us now ask, what are the consequences ? 
There are, there must be, consequences of eternal mo¬ 
ment connected with such a fact as this; for, let it be 
observed, that it implies a state of sin, against which spec¬ 
ial provisions have been made in the gospel—a state of 
sin long continued, in the midst of light by which it is 



NEGLECTED. 


121 


clearly exposed! Surely Christians, though they resist, 
and subdue the tendencies of this state, cannot continue 
in it, for many months and years, without serious con¬ 
sequences to themselves. 

1. The first is, fearful advantage to their great enemy, 
the devil. He comes to them with artful blandishments, 
to induce a spirit of scepticism, and they have a tendency to 
unbelief. He comes to enslave them with fear, and they 
have a strong inclination to fear. He comes to inflate 
them with inordinate esteem of themselves, and they 
have a predisposition to pride. He comes to inspire 
them with a love of the world, its wealth, its honors, its 
pleasures; and the worldly element has not yet wholly 
perished within them. He comes to inflame their lusts, 
and these, though wounded, often show a fearful life, 
and struggle against the Spirit with terrific power. He 
comes to excite them to anger, and their natural irrita¬ 
bility of temper is not wholly cured. He comes to 
obscure the path of duty, and their spiritual vision is 
yet quite dim. He comes to induce rebellion against 
God, and their spirit of disobedience is not utterly erad¬ 
icated. And thus we might go on through the whole 
round of schemes and temptations, which arch sagacity 
or malignant hate can invent, and we should find, in the 
mass of Christians, some tendency, more or less con¬ 
cealed, of greater or less power, to yield to these Sa¬ 
tanic demands. What a fearful advantage is thus 
allowed to the enemy! Heed it be deemed a matter of 
surprise, that the soul, in such a state, is so often filled 
with gloom and terror ? Nay, that the whole founda¬ 
tion of Christian joy and hope is so frequently shaken 
to its centre ? 


11 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


138 

2. Another consequence is, frequent defeat in this 
dreadful battle. True, to retain their Christian character, 
these brethren must conquer in every temptation; for 
“ he that is born of God doth not commit sin.” And to 
regain that character, when once it is lost, they must 
“ repent, and do their first works.” But how frequent 
are failures in the former, and how often the latter is the 
only remaining resort, let honest experience and truth¬ 
telling conscience declare. With what sorrowful literal¬ 
ness does this familiar stanza describe the lives of mul¬ 
titudes of converted men: 

“ Here I repent, and sin again ; 

Now I revive, and now am slain ; 

Slain with that same unhappy dart, 

Which, 0, too often wounds my heart.” 

Admit, as we are compelled to do, that sin and 
repentance, and even final apostasy, are possible, in the 
highest state of Christian perfection, yet who can fail to 
see how dreadfully our exposures are increased by 
remaining inbred sin! We are compelled to declare, 
that, in our honest judgment, there are few cases of only 
partial sanctification, in which every single day does not 
make bitter work for repentance. So violent are the 
struggles of the strong man bound ; so forcible are the 
affinities between external temptation and internal con¬ 
dition, and so weak and wavering are the Christian 
purpose of the will, and the trust in a Redeemer, that 
inward, and even outward sin, with alarming frequency, 
requires pardon in order to a state of acceptance with 
the Lord. Is it not so ? Would that it were not! 
What relief would it bring to our hearts at this moment, 


NEGLECTED. 


123 


to be able to prove ourselves in error! But we cannot. 
With our eyes open to the light of history and revela¬ 
tion, the fact would meet us at every step, even though 
we should utterly fail to account for it. But with the 
unsanctified state of the church before us, recognizing, 
as -we are obliged to do, the remaining predisposition to 
comply with temptation, there is no room left for sur¬ 
prise that so many fall into sin. Nay, it is rather 
surprising, it is indeed a miracle of grace, that we con¬ 
quer at all, under these frightful disadvantages. Grace, 
never wants power. It is no disparagement of grace, 
but the contrary, to show the fatal tendencies of its 
neglect. 

3. Here must be sought the origin of those grievous 
apostasies which have dishonored the church, and ruined 
the souls of men. It is sufficiently lamentable to 
observe the yieldings of converted souls to the com¬ 
bined power of inward and outward seduction, even 
when they speedily rally, and regain their forfeited 
treasure. But, alas! who can ensure the rising again 
of those spiritually slain ? How innumerable the com¬ 
pany of those who have ultimately “ denied the Lord 
that bought them,” as the legitimate result of long- 
tolerated internal corruptions! Failing to see that much 
of the great moral revolution which religion required 
remained to be accomplished; that their perfection in 
holiness was made dependent upon fidelity to the grace 
already given; that “ the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth 
from all sin; ” that earnestly crying to God for “ a clean 
heart ” was every believer’s duty; that faith in Christ 
for entire sanctification, was the only way fully to honor 
him; and that repose in a justified state was sin against 


124 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


the great apostolic summons, “ Let us go on to perfec¬ 
tion ; ” either neglecting or despising the evidences of 
these glorious truths, they have been swept away by the 
overwhelming flood of internal corruption and external 
temptation. Can there be any question of this ? Who, 
that believes in the possibility of either temporary or final 
apostasy, could suggest a mode of backsliding more effec¬ 
tual, more inevitable, than to allow the sinful propensities 
of our nature to remain undisturbed ; to disobey the great 
law of progress, which is revealed as sacredly binding upon 
every converted man; to neglect the blood which offers 
to cleanse from all unrighteousness, and decline, as a 
thing of naught, the purifying baptism of the Holy 
Ghost! This, it is true, is not done deliberately, and at 
once. The converted man would shrink from the idea 
of so great a crime with instinctive horror. But it is 
the gradual result of procrastination. It is chargeable, 
we fear, to an alarming extent, upon that ministry which 
neglects to call attention to the glorious privilege of full 
redemption; that fails to enforce the doctrine of holi¬ 
ness by a clear experience, a sanctified life, and by 
powerful appeals from the word of God! Heaven save 
us from such an awful responsibility! But by whatever 
means it has occurred, one thing is certain, the great 
doctrine of Christian perfection has been neglected, and 
we may see the result in the state of the church. Thou¬ 
sands, once happy in God, have neglected it, and are 
now in hell. Thousands more have neglected it, and 
are now among the most profane of all the wicked that 
throng the broad road to death. Thousands more have 
neglected it, and are now hanging upon the church as a 
body of death, from which deliverance, if it come at all. 


NEGLECTED. 


125 


seems far in the distance. Thousands more are neglect¬ 
ing it, and are backsliding as fast as the. devil could 
desire. O! where will this thing end ? What power 
from eternity shall rouse the slumbering church to its 
only salvation? 

SECOND: BUT THERE ARE CONSEQUENCES TO THE CHURCH. 

1. Among these must be reckoned, her equivocal state 
before the world. Were her converts, or even those of 
them who retain, for a considerable time, the blessing of 
justification, to “ go on to perfection,” who would be 
at a loss to determine the true character of the church ? 
What excuse could then be given for calling in question 
her integrity, or doubting her commission from heaven 
to evangelize the world ? Certainly it is the fact, that 
her members generally are sanctified but in part, that 
renders her position doubtful, that emboldens her 
enemies to challenge her legitimacy, and question her 
prerogatives. Indeed, such is the nearness of resem¬ 
blance between her masses and the better portions of the 
world, that she often scarcely knows herself, and is fre¬ 
quently in alarming doubt whether she has not, by some 
sad fatality, lost her own identity. We allege, that, 
were the regenerated of the church all on the stretch 
for holiness, or in the full possession of it, there could 
be no such doubting in what character she exists before 
the world—nothing equivocal in the nature of her 
mission—nothing problematical in the success of it. 

2 . Her instability is another sad result of her remain¬ 
ing sins. Responsible men, invigorated with power 
from another life; set to be the world’s light, in the 

li* 


126 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


midst of its gloom ; commissioned to reclaim a revolted 
race ; bearing from Jehovah himself the seal of their com¬ 
mission ; hastening on to eternity, to render their solemn 
account, ought to have nothing eccentric in their move¬ 
ments, ought not to act spasmodically upon the heart of 
the world. If moral dignity, if consistent action, if 
inflexible fidelity, belong to any body of men upon the 
face of the earth, it is to the church of Jesus Christ. 
But her unsanctified spirits cannot be held steadily to 
her holy work. They must be roused afresh at every 
onset upon the kingdom of darkness. And when the 
excitement of the action is over, they sink back into 
comparative lifelessness, and must be excited again to 
do battle valiantly for the Lord of hosts. Now could 
this be so, if she were cleansed from all iniquity—if she 
were a holy, “ peculiar people, zealous of good works ? ” 
Surely it could not. To account for all her relapses, 
nothing further need be sought than the chilling effect 
of remaining depravity. To secure the invariable direct¬ 
ness and stability of effort which her high commission 
demands, her entire sanctification alone is required. 

3. Who can deny that the church shows signs of 
weakness in grappling with her numerous foes ? O, it 
is a fearful war in which she is engaged! This whole 
world, in its natural state, is under the dominion of the 
devil, “ the spirit that worketh in the children of diso¬ 
bedience ! ” The sleepless, untiring enemy of our suf¬ 
fering race, assaults our great Father, whose tender mer¬ 
cies bless us; his divine Son, whose blood atones for 
us ; and the Holy Spirit, whose energies sanctify us! 
He arrays as warriors of wrath his fellow-demons, and 
our wicked brethren, his deluded and hated vassals; and. 


NEGLECTED. 


127 


with these, attacks, at every hopeful point, and at every 
available moment, for thousands of years in succession, 
the recognized friends of the Holy Trinity. The church 
is God’s embattled host against this mighty force, and 
sometimes she triumphs gloriously. But why not 
always ? The weapons of her warfare are not carnal, but 
spiritual, and “ mighty through God to the pulling down 
of strongholds.” Alas! she is too often divested of 
her power to use these heavenly weapons. Not only 
are there enemies and traitors in her ranks, but remain¬ 
ing sympathy with her foes too often paralyzes her 
efforts, and sends her mourning from the field, when she 
ought to have been “ more than conqueror.” There is 
weakness hi this contest, and what more is needed to 
account for it, than that such multitudes in the church 
are not entirely on the Lord’s side ? Divided hearts, 
divided forces, and defeat; united hearts, united forces, 
and triumph. So long as sanctification remains incom¬ 
plete in so large a proportion of the church, w r e fear we 
shall have much of the former, and comparatively little 
of the latter. O that God would speedily remedy this 
alarming evil by a general baptism of the Holy Ghost! 

4. But the church must mourn comparative ineffi¬ 
ciency in her enterprises. Look at the mission of the 
church to herself. To purge her own members from 
inward sin—to secure their steady, rapid growth in holi¬ 
ness and love — to exercise a wholesome, thorough, 
Christian discipline, recovering as many as possible of 
her erring children, and promptly removing those who, 
by their irreligion, do more harm to her than she can do 
good to them—to maintain her spiritual services and 
temporal economy, she is sent to herself. This mission, 


128 


THE CENTRAL IDEA. 


in fact, if not in form, she has always recognized. Ef¬ 
forts to accomplish these noble purposes for herself may 
be seen in all her societies. But who can carefully mark 
them, and not feel grieved at heart ? Her most vigorous 
endeavors to lead her members into the fountain that 
“ cleanseth from all sin,” fall vastly short of their object. 
Indeed, even to convince them that entire salvation is 
possible, and necessary, to rouse them to a spirit of fer¬ 
vent, agonizing, persevering prayer for it, seems wholly 
beyond her strength. She tries to do it; but, with heir 
small successes, for which the Lord be praised, what ex¬ 
tensive, mournful failures mark her history! What can 
be the cause, if not that the immense aggregate of her 
inward corruptions deprives her of the spiritual holy 
power with which she is bound in duty to prosecute this 
work ? How can her ministers thoroughly and effectu¬ 
ally “ show the house of Jacob her iniquities, and God’s 
people their sins,” and lead them to the cleansing blood, 
while they are themselves neither made “ perfect in love,” 
nor “ groaning after it ? ” The cause of such lamentable 
weakness in these Heaven-sanctioned efforts, stands out 
as clear as the sun. Many of us to whose charge the 
work is solemnly committed, are sanctified but in part, 
and, with deep solicitude, but strict fidelity, we must 
add, some of us seem content to remain so. 

The same explanations of the want of power in 
exertions to secure the steady and rapid growth in 
grace, of her members, will, we think, be found suffi¬ 
cient. These exertions are much more common and 
direct than those winch aim at entire purification; and 
yet, we doubt not, many have been greatly surprised to 
see so many backsliding in the very midst of these 


NEGLECTED. 


129 


efforts, and to find at the end of the year so little prog¬ 
ress, where so much has been expected ! This inward 
earthly, sensual spirit, often neutralizes both the power 
and effect of the effort. 

Christian discipline is lamentably weak among the 
churches of all denominations. When men begin to 
backslide, it seems as if we had almost no power to arrest 
them! We can hardly influence them to attend the 
external means of grace; and when it is known that 
they are wholly apostatized, and all efforts to reform 
them are unavailing, how difficult, if not impossible, to 
excommunicate them! The church often tries to cleanse 
herself by wholesome discipline ; but it is well, indeed, 
if, on the whole, this gloomy work does not increase, 
rather than diminish upon her hands! We may be 
wrong, but we thoroughly believe that if experimental 
holiness had its due influence amongst us, no such 
weakness would exist. Complete success, it is true, 
might not be possible, because of our imperfection in 
knowledge ; but we are sure we might be able to accom¬ 
plish what our enlightened, sanctified intelligence should 
move us to undertake. Sin is weakness, but holiness is 
strength. 

And the spiritual services and temporal economy of 
the church are maintained with far less efficiency than they 
richly deserve, and her friends desire. Warnings and 
appeals fall powerless upon the ears of the masses. Only 
a small number can be induced by any efforts, to attend 
the prayer, the conference, and the class meetings. The 
great majority stay away. Their states of mind draw 
them more powerfully elsewhere; and prayers, entrea¬ 
ties, tears, are all in vain. 


130 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


With honorable exceptions, what begging, scheming, 
and debating, even among the wealthy, are necessary to 
obtain the small means required to build our churches and 
parsonages, support our ministry, and meet the other indis¬ 
pensable home expenses of religion, we need not try to 
show. Sad experience has superseded all other teaching 
here. Nor need we attempt to make plainer the humil¬ 
iating truth, that remaining selfishness, which the fire of 
divine love should have wholly consumed, is the un¬ 
changeable obstruction to the needed benevolence of the 
church. This is certainly one of the most evident and sad 
results of the established fact, that Christians generally 
are sanctified but in part. 

But the mission of the church to others demands our 
attention. The treasures of holy love are not commit¬ 
ted to her for her own use alone ; they are to be poured 
out for the benefit of the world. The nations are to 
be gathered to the Redeemer by her instrumentality. 
She knows this full well; and hence her mission to 
foreign lands, her Bible, and tract, and educational 
efforts. But here, perhaps, more than anywhere else, 
her weakness appears. God forbid that we should in 
any sense undervalue the work already accomplished, 
and in delightful progress, in all these holy enterprises. 
But when we look at the state of the world, the igno¬ 
rance, the corruption, and the peril of spirits enveloped 
in the darkness of heathenism and infidelity ; when we 
think of the hundreds of millions who “ know not the 
Lord,” to whom there is no written revelation—no civ¬ 
ilization—no Sabbath—no Gospel message,—for whom 
there is no light shining upon the death-bed, or the 
grave, or eternity;—when we reflect upon the many 


NEGLECTED. 


131 


thousands of these deathless souls, that are annually 
Ushered into the spirit-world, and then contemplate 
the limited efforts of the church to save them, Ave are 
amazed at the indifference Avith which these facts are 
regarded. 0 what means this stinted, measured, forced 
contribution, to a cause, which by its living interest, 
9 ught to set the Avhole church on fire ? In the 
name of God, Ave ask, why do we rest contented 
amid the glories of a gospel day, while our poor 
brethren are perishing by thousands, in the darkness 
of heathen night? Why do we lavish our tens of 
thousands upon our persons, our tables, our children, 
our worldly enterprises, and give but a miserable pit¬ 
tance to save men from hell—to deck Avith immortal 
gems the coronet of the Redeemer ? Why Avill Ave so 
long hesitate to explore the land of sorroAV and death, 
—Avhy refuse to rush into the field to rescue our fel¬ 
lows from the dominion of the- devil, Avhen multitudes, 
even of our oavh number, peril life and character, time 
and eternity, for the treasures of earth ? Alas ! there 
is so much of unsanctified self—so much of sin remain¬ 
ing in our hearts, that we have no power to make the 
sacrifices—no strength to do the work! We look out 
mournfully upon the scene of desolation, hut we are 
too Aveak to reach it! We cry out to God to save, and 
then give the struggle over ! We weep for our selfish¬ 
ness, under the pathetic appeals of ten thousand dying 
men, echoed by a servant of Christ; give a feAV pence, 
or it may be dollars;—half as much, perhaps, as Ave 
would expend for a sumptuous dinner, if a number of 
the rich were our guests ; and then Avith our consciences 
appeased, give ourselves no further trouble, till another 


132 


THE CENTRAL IDEA. 


anniversary arrives! O God, lay not this sin to our 
charge! Turn thou our eyes within us, that we may 
see the fatal cause of our deadly slumberings over a 
world in ruins! O remove our inward corruptions, that 
the gushing sympathies of our sanctified natures may 
flow out to our suffering brethren in streams of holy 
love! Baptize us with the Holy Ghost, that we may 
be thrust out upon errands of mercy, through the ten 
thousand doors opened by thine own omnipotent arm, 
before our wondering eyes; and eternity shall echo the 
praise of that grace which answers now our earnest 
prayers. 


CHAPTER iv. 


THE CENTRAL IDEA IN ITS CLAIMS. 

SEC. I. IT IS DESIRABLE TO BE HOLY. 

FIRST: SHOWN FROM THE NATURE AND EFFECTS OF SIN. 

It is desirable to be holy, at least so it would seem to us; 
so, if we are not wholly mistaken, it must seem to all. 
Even opponents of the doctrine, must, upon sober reflec¬ 
tion, exceedingly regret that, in their humble opinion, 
no available provisions have been made in the gospel, to 
save the soul entirely, and in this life, from so dread 
an evil;—or that provision having been made, it is placed 
beyond our reach;—or if entirely possible, we are so con¬ 
stituted that we never can, or never will, avail ourselves 
of it. We have often imagined that devout persons, un¬ 
fortunately restricted by theological systems, must be 
driven again and again to search the Scriptures, and pore 
over the records of piety, to see whether, after all, there 
is not some lurking error in the viev^, which deprives the 
thirsty soul of full draughts of salvation; so abhorrent 
are the slightest motions of inward depravity to the 
truly regenerate. We shall write in harmony, therefore, 
with the feelings of such Christians, whatever difficulties 
mere theory may oppose, when we attempt to show how 

desirable it is to be “ pure in heart.” And amongst the 
12 


134 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


thousands who in honest faith receive the doctrine of 
experimental holiness as a practical reality, there must 
he extremely few who, even under the greatest delusion, 
cherish sin—or defend it from real affection; and yet, 
surely the delay, the shrinking when the subject is men¬ 
tioned, and the various apologetic theories put forth, 
justify the conviction that the true desirableness of “a 
clean heart,” is not appreciated by the church. 

1. Let us look at the nature of sin. In principle, and 
in fact, it is rebellion against God. His will is revealed 
in the Bible. His holy law is the principle upon which 
the moral harmony of the universe depends; and yet 
sin attacks that principle—subjects it to utter contempt, 
and tramples it under foot. It is the rule which binds 
the creature to the Creator, the subject to the sovereign, 
the child to the parent, the beneficiary to the benefactor; 
but sin, in full view of all these sacred relations, perpe¬ 
trates its high enormities. Man, under its influence, 
says, “I know I did not create myself—I know a 
Divine Power brought me into being, and that power 
has a right to demand all my services, but I will 
not yield to that demand. I acknowledge the right, and 
rebel against it. Those creature abilities shall serve my 
own purposes, my own lusts. There in heaven, and 
every where is my rightful Lord, the Being who holds 
the destinies of the universe. But I defy him ! let him 
order as he will, I will not obey the order! I will be 
my own ruler! I will live as I list, in despite of him! 
Let him throw down his law, as a line of fire to stop 
me ; I will rush over it! He is my Father, I am but 
his weak, dependent helpless child. Every day he 
feeds me, and every breath I receive bom his Almighty 


IN ITS CLAIMS. 


135 


Providence. See now ! I will insult him—despise 
him ! Let him command me—threaten me—expostu¬ 
late with me ; I will resist all! He has no love that 
shall win me—no terrors that shall awe me—no authority 
that shall bind my will! ” Such is sin, the transgression 
of that law which is founded upon every relation held 
sacred by God or man. 

And it is more. There are sacred duties binding 
upon the moral agent. Heaven enjoins repentance, but 
the sinner says, “ I will cling to my sins—I do not regret 
them. I love them, and will repeat them as often as I 
have an opportunity. Heaven requires trust in the 
divine veracity, in his omnipotent power, and holy love; 
but I will not confide in him. Faith is the great want 
of my soul, the proffer of divine grace, the most rea¬ 
sonable exercise of a rational mind ,• but I will not trust 
in the Being whom I know to be unalterable truth;— 
whose word can never fail;—I will not rely upon the 
things I know to be true, and the only truths that are 
of inevitable and eternal moment to me. Heaven 
requires that I should pray, but I choose to ‘ restrain 
prayer.’— f Who is the Lord, that I should serve him, 
and what profit shall I have if I pray unto him ? ’ Ho 
confession, contrition, deprecation, or petition, shall 
have place in my heart, or fall Loin my lips. God, my 
bountiful benefactor, requires my affections, I see him, 

6 the fairest among ten thousand, and the one altogether 
lovely; ’ but I will not love him. I can love the crea¬ 
ture, man ; a specimen of moral deformity; myself, the 
very type of folly and odiousness ; but not God—the 
pure, benevolent, and faithful God! The great Jeho¬ 
vah demands that I should fear him, and though I see 


136 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


him clothed in majesty and strength—with the terrors of 
justice flashing from his eye, yet I shall render him no 
filial awe. I fear my fellow man, the frown of the pop¬ 
ulace, the ban of fashion—every thing mean and con¬ 
temptible, but not God—the righteous, sin-avenging 
God! It is required by him who has the right, that I 
should f love my neighbor as myself; ’ but my neigh¬ 
bor—who is he, that he should occupy my time, engross 
my sympathies, absorb my means, and interfere with my 
enterprises ? If I can use him in any way, if I can com¬ 
pel him to supply my wants, administer to my passions, 
or elevate me for the adulations of my fellows, very well 
—if not, I have no special interest in him.” And so 
of every duty. Sin is neglect—continued, obstinate, 
constantly recurring neglect. “To him that knoweth 
to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” 

And this is not all. It is gross inward corruption. 
No symmetrical, beautiful human figure can illustrate it. 
As said the prophet, of the moral condition of the Jews, 
so says the truth of all who are under the influence of 
sin—“ The whole head is sick, and the whole heart 
faint. From the sole of the foot even unto the head, 
there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, 
and putrefying sores: they have not been closed, neither 
bound up, neither mollified with ointment.” A putrid 
mass of loathsome corruption! Deeply seated within 
the soul, lies the source of outward rebellion. “.The 
heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wick¬ 
ed; who can know it?” “A corrupt tree bringeth 
forth evil fruit ”—“ An evil man, out of the evil treas¬ 
ure of his heart, bringeth forth that which is evil ”— 
nothing is right within. The passions are perverted— 


IN ITS CLAIMS., 


137 


tlie affections are alienated—the conscience is untruthful 
—the will is rebellious. Wrong—every thing wrong 
in the soul, and “ all unrighteousness is sin.” 

One other thing must he said of sin, distinctly, that it 
may be impressively. It rejects the Son of God! It is 
in the light of Calvary, that all sin has its true deformity. 
The race are not merely the unfortunate descendants of 
guilty parents;—not vile, because by inheritance doomed 
to be vile;—not rebellious because hopeless. The love 
of God has attempted to reach them. A scheme of stu¬ 
pendous mercy has been devised. The only begotten 
has appeared in flesh. Earth has seen and felt his com¬ 
passion, and received his blood! To every mortal ear 
the call is issued, “ If any man thirst, let him come unto 
me and drink.” The guilty are offered pardon, the 
rebellious mercy, the dead life, the polluted purification. 
It is against all this that sin persists in its obstinacy. 
There is no power in dying love to melt the heart! 
There are no charms in the Redeemer to win its affec¬ 
tions! The gospel instructs, intreats, threatens, and 
commands, in vain. The vast remedial scheme, with 
its endless variety of expedients, involving the resour¬ 
ces of a God, by sin is mocked, despised, and rejected. 
Can we—need we say more! Is there any other light 
in which it appears so vile, so flagrant, so terrible ? 

Such is sin, as a violation of divine law, as a neglect 
of sacred duty, as a principle of innate, habitual, culti¬ 
vated depravity. Such is the rejection of divine com¬ 
passion. Thus it “ tramples under foot the Son of God.” 
Can it be in any sense desirable ? No. All will instinct¬ 
ively say, surely not in its grosser forms. It is offens¬ 
ive even to decency, in the forms of idolatry, profanity, 
12* 


138 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


Sabbath-breaking, disobedience to parents, murder, adul¬ 
tery, fornication, theft, false witness, and covetousness. 
From all these we pray to be delivered; however much 
we may be in spirit attached to any of them. And 
Christians feel that, in the sense of guilt, they cannot 
bear it. From its condemning power, they entreat, by 
night and day, to be delivered. Strange, that, in any 
of its forms, it should be allowed a home in the 
soul. For the mere fact of having within, the seeds 
of sin, the roots of bitterness, the fountain of “bitter 
waters,” how few of the church give themselves 
any heartfelt trouble, feel any pain of conscience, 
or engage in any struggle of prayer! Bat in this 
form of inward depravity, is it any more desirable, 
any less offensive, or dangerous ? It is verily the same 
in principle, whether within, or without. In the out¬ 
ward forms of hateful vice, or robed in the garb of love¬ 
liness and beauty; breaking out in rebellion, or suppressed 
and governed, it is the same offensive “ thing that God 
hates.” True, the condition of the sinner is by no means 
the same in an unforgiven, and in a pardoned state. 
There is rich mercy in pardon. There are the begin¬ 
nings of a complete salvation in justification. There is 
the earnest of a blissful immortality in regeneration. 
But we must not be misled by the comfort of pardon, 
the joy and triumph of a new birth, and the glorious 
hopes of immortality, to pass over with indifference the 
corruption which remains; to feel or suppose that God 
has waived, in its favor, the claims of his holy law, or 
that it is entitled, in any form, to our toleration, or suf¬ 
ferance, because we have been enabled by grace to con¬ 
quer it. We must examine it in the light of revelation, 


IN ITS CLAIMS. 


139 


and of a convicted conscience, until we can see all its' 
deformity. We must watch its tendencies until we can 
realize that it is just as corrupt and rebellious as in any 
condition whatever ;—that it embraces the first opportu¬ 
nity to flame out against God, and against the soul ; that, 
just as in any form, it will give a welcome home to the 
devil, and the world; lead the spirit away from Christ 
and duty; chill its affections, and pervert its judgment. 
Just as surely, then, as it is desirable to be-delivered 
from sin at all, it is desirable to be delivered from all 
sin. Desirable, as sin is wrong in itself, odious to God, 
against the rights of the Savior, and at war with the 
operations of the Holy Spirit. Desirable, in every aspect 
in which it can be viewed. Desirable in proportion to 
its inherent malignity, its corrupting, damning power 
over the souls in which it is allowed to reign. O, who 
can look at it, and love it ? Who can answer its defor¬ 
mity with a smile ? Who can permit with quiet com¬ 
placency, its concentrated poison in the soul? How 
exceedingly desirable is deliverance from all sin on its 
own account! Let each of us think, and examine, and 
pray, until we shall cry out for deliverance merely be¬ 
cause we loathe it more than any thing offensive to us, 
in the universe of God. 

2. Look at the effects of sin. Sin has interrupted 
the moral harmony of the universe. It has arrayed the 
creature against his Creator. It turned rebellious angels 
out of heaven, and man out of Paradise. It kindled 
the flames of hell, and produced all the malignity and 
woe of that fearful place, where “ the smoke of their 
torment ascendeth up forever and ever.” It brought 
the death-penalty upon our race, and the curse of God 


140 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


* upon our earth. It has arrayed man against his fellow- 
man, and drenched the earth in blood. It has offended 
the eye with sights of pollution, and the ear with sounds 
of cursing and blasphemy. Who can defend it ? Who 
can look out upon its devastations, and plead for it ? But 
let us examine its work more minutely. 

First of all, it defiles what God intended should be 
holy. The moral nature, the conscience, the heart,— 
created originally in God’s own image;—pure as the sun 
light, white as the driven snow, has been corrupted by sin, 
has become “ deceitful above all things, and desperately 
wicked.” Its moral vision is hence darkened. Its dis¬ 
criminations are inaccurate. Amid the wild confusion 
of principles, right and wrong,—the endless diversity of 
things which ought, and ought not to be done, the soul 
is confused, and gropes its way in darkness, where it 
ought to have moved with unerring accuracy. How 
melancholy to see the exalted good, rejected as though 
it were bane to the soul; the degrading evil seized as 
the richest luxury; the moral judgment misled, when 
the feeble desire to do right is struggling for the ascen¬ 
dency ! And then how corrupt and powerless the moral 
impulsions towards the right, when clearly seen! What 
stronger evidence of the deep moral depravation of the 
soul, than that the wrong attracts, and the right repels 
it! How justly may the sinner say, 


“ I see the right, and I approve it too, 

I see the wrong, and yet the wrong pursue.” 


And how little pain does the soul endure in reflecting 
upon its guilty decisions! Were it pure as when God 
created it, sin would inflict severest suffering. As the 


IN ITS CLAIMS. 


141 


nerve shrinks from the knife, as the eye from dust or 
gravel, the uncorrupted conscience woulcT writhe at the 
touch of crime. Now, in what myriads of instances 
does it delight and revel in sin! At first, perhaps, and 
afterwards occasionally, when the spirit of God arouses 
the conscience, it shrinks from contemplated wrong, and 
endures more or less pain upon the remembrance of 
offences against the laws of God. But how soon are 
these kindly admonitions hushed, amid the clamors of 
appetite, and destroyed by the power of vicious habit!* 
And the susceptibility of pleasure upon the performance 
of the right, shares the same fate, until, in point of fact, 
the fallen spirit is more seriously discommoded by the 
right, than the wrong—the pure than the impure. 
These are the effects of sin upon the soul; and there 
are others. 

The passions have shared deeply in the general de¬ 
pravation. The affections are perverted, are torn from 
God, the race, and holiness, and placed upon the world, 
and self. The pure and elevated benevolence which 
God designed to reign over the soul, has been driven 
from the throne, and malevolence has usurped the sway. 
Anger rises up where only aversion to the wrong, and 
pity for the offender are due. Envy stares at the suc¬ 
cessful and the happy, when congratulations and delight 
ought to tremble upon the lip, and beam from the eye. 
Jealousy sends out its venom in the stead of genial sym¬ 
pathy, and unwavering confidence. Pride flatters and 
demands, where humility and meekness ought to dwell 
in deep composure, and yielding simplicity. Lust burns 
and devours, where purity should reign. Indeed, the 
whole desirous and emotional man is perverted by sin. 


142 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


Who can vindicate the cause of such sad revulsions, such 
fearful wrongs, such frightful disasters ? 

But the sensibilities have not suffered alone. The 
whole intellect is involved. Its power to know, and 
think, and reason, is paralyzed; and eternity alone will 
reveal the struggles it has passed, to arouse itself from 
its lethargy, to open its eyes upon the light, to grapple 
with the mysteries of nature and of God, to solve the 
dark problems of science, and of life, to separate the 
• true from the false, to correct its errors, and prevent 
then* fatal results. Mind was intended for work, but 
not against such fearful odds—to study, hut not in the 
dark—to expand and develop itself, but not in a state 
of infirmity and disease—to rise and soar amid the splen¬ 
dors of the firmament, and the glories of heaven, but 
not against the ponderous load of sin it bears. Alas, 
what universal wreck in the architecture of God! Wliat 
magnificent ruins reveal the perfection of the design, 
and the destruction of the temple! And yet we are 
asked to show mercy to the spoiler, and preserve for 
him somewhere, and for a time, at least, a sanctuary in 
the inner nature! 

One obstinate final stand, made by this one dread 
enemy, must not be overlooked. He has seized the 
moral active power of man,—has induced its stubborn 
resistance against the higher sense of duty—against the 
most affectionate appeals of truth and of interest; he has 
taught the soul to say no, when the Bible entreats and 
conscience urges, and God commands. The perverted 
will, which originates action, which gives character and 
direction to the soul’s doings, yields now, when it ought 
to be firm ; stops, when it ought to advance; rushes on 


IN ITS CLAIMS. 


143 


when it ought to pause, and fills the soul with obduracy, 
when it ought to be tender and submissive. These sad 
results of sin join with those we have named before, to 
condemn and denounce it. 

But not only is inward depravity thus the source of 
wrong being, and wrong actions. It produces guilt and 
misery, which no language can describe. God condemns 
it and those who willingly retain it. However “ dead 
in trespasses and in sins,” the soul is destined some time 
to awake—awake to the dread consciousness of inward 
wrongs, to the fearful fact of war with God. The 
“ sting of death ” is in it, and there it must inflict its 
terrible wounds, and infuse its malignant poison. It is 
“treasuring up wrath against the day of wrath, and 
revelation of the righteous judgment of God.” It is 
like the troubled sea when it cannot rest, whose waters 
cast up mire and dirt. “ There is no peace to the 
wicked, saith my God.” Inward conscious guilt—the 
dread forebodings of coming retribution—the horrors of 
endless death already begun, prey upon the soul, 
paralyze its energies, and destroy its usefulness. The 
effects of sin! Alas ! who can describe them ? 

Look into the suffering hearts of guilty millions, and 
see the storms that are raging there;—look out upon the 
scenes of woe that darken the face of day;—look into 
the lanes, and courts, and alleys,—the cellars, and gar¬ 
rets of crowded cities ;—listen to the wail of distress, as 
it comes up from the couch of suffering, and of death— 
to the sobs and groans and shrieks of agony, born the 
hearts, riven by untold calamities, or dark with corrup 
tions, unseen but by the eye of God. Hear the angry 
curses, and the terrible blasphemies which roll from the 


144 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


lips, designed to utter Jehovah’s praise;—see justice 
trampled to the earth—mercy bleeding with wounds, 
inflicted by those, over whom she weeps in sympathy 
and love;—see decency violated —the poor neglected— 
the weak crushed by the arm of power—humanity out¬ 
raged, and the Sovereign God despised;—look upon 
“the whole creation, groaning and travelling in pain 
together until now,” and then say if you have a plea 
to offer for sin,—if for anything it has ever done, you 
can offer for it a vindication or excuse,—if there be any 
form or degree of it, that you wish to hide in your 
heart. 

Nay, go on to the judgment, and see its doings by the 
light of a binning world, and the flames of hell. Look 
at the pale and horror-stricken throng upon the left of 
the Judge ;—imagine, if you can, the agony of that sus¬ 
pense which awaits the final doom—the depth of that 
woe which fills the guilty, as they see the multitudes of 
the redeemed rise up, and on wings, of fire, move into 
the world of light, when the terrible conviction sinks 
into their hearts, that they can never enter there;—think 
of the bolt of flaming wrath, that must strike them, as 
they hear the sentence, “ Depart, ye cursed, into ever¬ 
lasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels,”—of 
the consuming anguish of a world of sinners, amid “ the 
fire that shall never be quenched,” and the gnawings of 
“ the worm that never dies ; ”—see the “ weeping and 
wailing and gnashing of teeth ” when the “ smoke of 
their torment aseendeth up for ever and ever! ” And, 
as upon the waves of dark damnation, their spirits rise, 
and cry “ How long, oh Lord, how long,” hear the sen¬ 
tence of justice, echo and re-echo from the walls of fire. 


IN ITS CLAIMS. 


145 


“ Eternity,” ff eternity! ” and then behold them plunge 
again, to rage and welter, amid that sea which “ burneth 
with fire and brimstone ; ” where devils live, and hiss, 
and curse, and rage, for ever and for ever! O, tell me, 
will you cherish that which has produced these scenes 
of woe ? 

Say not, sin has no power if it be subdued and 
pardoned. Too many have found to their sorrow, that 
“ the least remains of sin,” after regeneration, had power 
to germinate and produce the fruits of death. With what 
fearful strength will it rise, and extend, and struggle to 
overthrow you! How promptly will it claim affinity with 
the temptations of the devil, and the allurements of the 
world! How many, through the influence of remaining 
depravity, have been betrayed into angry passions, into 
vanity, pride, and unbridled lust! How many have gradu¬ 
ally yielded to the suggestions of an evil heart, and found, 
at length, that their strength was lost, their confidence 
gone, their Savior grieved, and their souls brought into 
bitter condemnation! It is not safe to rest in this state 
for an hour. When we see “ how great a matter a little 
fire kindleth,”—that “a little leaven leaveneth the 
whole lump,”—how many thousands have been slain by 
harbored inward foes, which have seemed to be harm¬ 
less—what a mass of backsliders there are now in the 
church, for the very reason, that they have been satisfied 
without going on to perfection, we are ready to say, 
Surely, it is desirable to be cleansed from all sin,—from 
the last and least remains of sin. Desirable ? 0 what 

desires should rise up and struggle within us—what 
longings for deliverance—what restless breathings after 
full redemption! When, by steady, sincere reflection, 

13 


146 THE CENTRAL IDEA 

we see the effects of sin—even of sin remaining after 
conversion; when, by quickened memory, we recall 
the wrongs and the perils of the past;—when we look 
out with deep and earnest gaze, into the crimes, and 
woes of the world, and forward into the scenes of death 
and the judgment, and see the ruin which has followed 
in its train, we shall realize, and yet inadequately, how 
desirable it is, to be delivered from all sin. 


SECOND: SHOWN FROM THE NATURE AND RESULTS OF HOLINESS. 

1. Holiness is desirable in itself. It is purity ; and 
we are formed to admire purity. Even the garments 
we wear about us are comfortable only when they are 
perfectly clean. If they become soiled, they are offens¬ 
ive. We brush them again and again, to remove from 
them the smallest particles of dust. If their quality 
will admit of it, we wash them and polish them, until 
they are as white as the driven snow. What comfort,, 
what genuine satisfaction we realize, when every gar 
ment is perfectly pure ; and how uneasy, how dissatis¬ 
fied with ourselves, when the dust and sweat of the day 
adhere to us. With what instinctive loathing do we 
look upon the filthy and negligent around us. They 
may have excellent traits of character ; they may be our 
kindred, and we may bear them the kindest regard, but 
can by no means avoid that nervous shrinking, in their 
presence, which was designed to protect us from pollu¬ 
tion. The residences of the vicious and degraded are 
odious, chiefly from their impurity, while we should 
wish to get out of the most splendid mansion on earth, 


IN ITS CLAIMS. 


14 *, 


if it were kept in a neglected and unclean condition. 
We feel attracted to persons of taste, on that account 
alone ; not to those who are distinguished by self-infla¬ 
tion, and the airs of vanity, hut to those who are neat in 
person. The homeliest garb is entirely acceptable, even 
in good company, if it is perfectly clean, while the cost¬ 
liest attire can in no way compensate for stains, or neg¬ 
lected rents. We avoid the shops, and public houses, 
that are filthy, and patronize, even at much greater cost, 
those which are neat and tasteful. Dealers, of all kinds, 
polish their wares to the highest degree of brightness, 
to meet a law of God in the human soul; and if they 
fall into the mire, and receive ineffaceable stains, though 
strong and durable as ever, they are utterly spoiled. 

From physical to moral purity, the transition is easy. 
It is made in the Scriptures, and the illustration is 
remarkably significant. ff Cleanse thou me from secret 
faults,” “ Come, let us reason together; though your sins 
be as scarlet, they shall be as wool, though they be red 
like crimson, they shall be whiter than snow.” “ If we 
walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellow¬ 
ship one with another; and the blood of Jesus Christ, 
his son, cleanseth us from all sin.” “ He is faithful and 
just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all 
unrighteousness.” The soul, stained by sin, dark in 
moral corruption, may be “ cleansed ”—“ sanctified,” as 
the impurities of a garment are cleansed by washing. 
And what, to the eye of a clear conscience, is more offen¬ 
sive than moral defilement, polluting, degrading, ruin¬ 
ing the soul ? How do we shrink from it in ourselves, 
or when we behold it in others. Impurity of thought, 
and feeling, and purpose, and motive! How it mars 


148 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


the perfect workmanship of God! Sinners as we are, 
we cannot approve it. We can but look upon it with 
horror, and, as our souls become enlightened, with un¬ 
utterable loathing and disgust. But how lovely are the 
manifestations of moral purity. We pause before it 
with feelings of admiration, and almost of envy. In the 
character of a friend, it is the most attractive charm. It 
is the very essence and richness of moral beauty. It is 
the brightest splendor of angels. When we think of them, 
it is not chiefly as spiritual beings who “ excel in 
strength; ”—we do not dwell upon their swiftness in 
motion, nor yet upon their ministering benevolence, so 
much as upon their unsullied purity. How charming 
the idea of their presence, lovely as they are in holiness. 
What would be the value of an angel’s power, an an¬ 
gel’s intelligence, an angel’s society, if once defiled by 
sin—if stained by corruption ? Let the deep damnation 
of hell answer. No charms in an angel, amid the glo¬ 
ries of his lofty intelligence, if once he is fallen,—if 
stained by sin. Brilliant as are his powers, he is then 
but a devil. 

And what do we most admire in the heavenly world ? 
It may be different with others, but to us, holiness is the 
grand central attraction of heaven. If sin should enter 
it, “ Ichabod ” would be written upon its walls of sap¬ 
phire, and the light of its glory would be exchanged for 
the night of perdition. The higher orders of intelli¬ 
gence that range the fields of light, arc bright in unsul¬ 
lied purity. The redeemed are lovely, because “ they 
have washed their robes, and made them white in the 
blood of the Lamb.” And of all the attributes assembled 
in the awful majesty of the Triune God, there is nothing 


IN ITS CLAIMS. 


149 


to us of such wonderful attraction, as that which compels 
the bright retinues of heaven to cry, “ Holy! holy! 
holy! Lord God Almighty; which was and is and is to 
come.” How desirable! Apart from all its amaz¬ 
ing results, with what intense desire do we gaze upon 
it, and long to grasp it—to feel its power, and revel in 
its essential excellence ! 

It is purity; and it is perfect righteousness. We de¬ 
sire it for this. Man’s nature decides that holiness is 
right; that all impurity is inherently and unalterably 
wrong; that, while we exact purity in every thing else, 
the immortal soul ought not to be an exception. In the 
nature of God, we see an infinite reason for the right¬ 
eousness of holiness. He is our Creator. Ho moral 
condition can he right but such as he could give us— 
such as he could create. All our attempts to be recon¬ 
ciled to a state of inward impurity, are rebuked by the 
awful purity of Jehovah. In the nature of law, we see 
the eternal right of holiness. “The law is holy, and 
the commandment holy, and just, and good; ” and in 
this incorruptible holiness we see the unalterable wrong 
of all impurity in character, in feeling, in desire, in 
action. 

Who, then, can fail to be charmed by the visible beau¬ 
ties and the essential righteousness of holiness? He 
who sees nothing in it to admire ; who feels no attraction 
from its moral power; who does not feel the force of 
its intrinsic loveliness, is not a Christian. It is impos¬ 
sible ; nay, it argues a depth of corruption, and a degree 
of moral stupidity and death, most fearful and perilous, 
to be incapable of evident, inward delight, at the con¬ 
templation of holiness, and of spiritual desire to grasp it 
13 * 


150 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


as a prize. One of tlie first effects of pardon and regen¬ 
eration, is an inward consciousness of deliglit in purity ; 
and the more thoroughly we know ourselves, the more 
fully we understand the depths of our own native de¬ 
pravity ; and the more we increase in the light and power 
of experimental piety, the more devoutly do we love 
holiness for its own sake, the more ardently do we pant 
to possess it. If it conferred no other benefit than itself 
—if there were no other blessing in it, yet, with the 
strongest emphasis could we say, it is desirable to be 
holy. 

2 . The Results of Holiness are Desirable. These are 
matters of experience. They can never be appreciated 
without experience. We begin to realize them at con¬ 
version when the work of holiness begins. Happiness is 
felt which no tongue can describe, arising partly out of 
relief from the enormous burden of sin, from the deep 
consciousness of guilt, from a terrible sense of the wrath 
of God, from the awful fear of punishment—happiness 
produced in part by the contrast which the soul feels 
between a state of pardon and a state of condemnation. 
But, besides all this, there are the beginnings of a new 
and spiritual life. The present manifest workings of the 
Holy Spirit upon the heart and the feeling of inward 
renovation are all suited to the constitution of the soul. 
Where the power of inward depravity is broken, and 
the feelings, motives, and will are brought into harmony 
with the will of God, inward comfort and joy are the 
natural results. And there is happiness in faith; for 
we are formed to believe;—to trust implicitly in God ; 
and the manifestation of a Redeemer, suits precisely 
this propensity to confide in a power able to support and 


IN ITS CLAIMS. 


151 


to ransom ns. This is the rest of the soul. In unbelief, 
it is “like the troubled sea,” agitated, weary, away 
from home, incapable of repose. In faith, the soul is at 
home, and must be happy. And there is happiness in 
love. We were made to love. The malevolence of 
sin is its principal virus. No man can be happy 
with a consciousness of hate within him. Hatred 
to God, to man, even to an enemy, will make the 
noblest soul upon earth the home of wretchedness. 
Love harmonizes with a sense of duty—with the primary 
fundamental laws of the soul; and he who first feels the 
gentle, sweet, subduing power of love Can hardly fail to 
rejoice. To all really converted we may say, “Whom 
[Jesus] having not seen ye love. In whom, though now 
ye see him not yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeak¬ 
able and full of glory.” And then there is bliss 
imparted—direct, rich beyond description, from the 
resident God within the converted soul, bliss which is 
designed to increase forever. 

But what Christian does not know that this inward 
joy meets with sad interruptions from the rising power 
of inward depravity ? This, it cannot be denied, disturbs 
the moral harmony upon which happiness depends, 
renders it irregular and uncertain in proportion to its 
amount and force. And to give permanence and cer¬ 
tainty to the bliss of conversion, it must be totally 
removed. If it were to be always kept under, if as a 
source of temptation it were never to gain the mastery, 
the enjoyments of the soul, great as they are, would be 
far less than in a state of perfect purity. If salvation in 
p ar t—if the beginnings of sanctification are capable of 
producing so much substantial joy, how much more may 


152 


THE CENTRAL IDEA- 


be realized when the work is complete ? This is clear 
from a priori evidence, but experience must destroy every 
vestige of doubt. The deep, pervading, elevating and 
abiding joy in the state of entire sanctification is known, 
is matter of fact which both really and comparatively 
shows how desirable it is to be holy. 

But the moral power it imparts, greatly strengthens 
the argument. The power to glorify God is fearfully 
impaired by indwelling sin. The sad accusations of 
conscience, of history, and of revelation against believers, 
are in evidence of this. Sin utterly destroyed—the soul 
athirst for God and swallowed up in his love, and the 
divine glory then rises above every other consideration in 
earth or heaven. With what clearness and force can the 
soul wholly cleansed, glorify God by reflecting his 
image, by presenting truthfully his power to save, by 
showing the divine reality—the superhuman strength of 
experimental godliness. How conclusively it refutes 
all cavil in regard to experimental religious verities, 
silences infidelity, and dissipates fear by the indubitable 
evidence of fact which all men can see, and no man 
dispute. This is bringing glory to God by con¬ 
founding his enemies, by demonstrating his claims and 
illustrating his living power to save the lost—a style 
of logic which transcends all the dictations of scholas¬ 
ticism, and leaves nothing to desire. And how potent is 
the arm which is thus held out to the feeble in virtue! 
What encouragement to the halting and despairing ! 
The living demonstration of the power of grace lifts up 
the head that was bowed down to the dust, and the 
sweet, inspiring language of love invites the timid for¬ 
ward in the way to heaven, with a charm wdiich multi- 


IN ITS CLAIMS. 


153 


tudes are unable to resist. The work of God strengthens 
and revives; sinners are saved by scores and hundreds, by 
the living power of perfect love. We have but to 
suppose the whole church completely redeemed, and 
burning with love that casts out fear, to have some idea 
of the power in this experience to promote the glory of 
God. Who doubts—who can doubt that the aggressive 
energy of the church would then be in a high sense 
irresistible, and that the earth would soon “ be full of the 
knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea ? ” The 
results of holiness! They can never be shown by 
rhetoric or logic. They cannot be appreciated without 
trial. We must feel the power of full salvation to know 
it. We must prove it when we are called to grapple 
with the monster death;—must enjoy it in the thrill of 
delight which heaven will bring to the enraptured soul;— 
must see it in the glory that beams from the Triune God 
in that bright world;—must hear it in the songs and 
hallelujahs of redeemed ones, and angels, and seraphs, 
where “ the wicked cease from troubling and the weary 
are forever at rest.” Desirable! Ah! if it be desirable 
to be relieved from all fear—to be elevated to a state of 
calm and permanent bliss—to be able to glorify God 
even in the fire—to be ready for death without a moment’s 
warning—to live with God forever, it is desirble to be 
holy. We thus see as clearly as we may with the light 
allowed us, one grand claim of the central idea of 
Christianity. 


154 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


SEC. II. IT IS POSSIBLE TO BE HOLY. 

FIRST: SHOWN FROM A PRIORI PROBABILITIES. 

We have endeavored to show that it is desirable to 
be holy. We trust that this conviction has been deep¬ 
ened in the minds of some who have read. We are 
certain that little can be done without it. If a believer 
can see no charms in holiness,—nothing to be desired in a 
clean heart—in being wholly the Lord’s—in perfect love, 
there can be no hope that he will endeavor to obtain it. 
He will not dwell upon it in his thoughts,—will not 
study it in the revealed will of God,—will not plead for 
it in his prayers. But it is manifestly improper to speak 
of a believer who sees nothing desirable in holiness. A 
man who can say, “ I have no desire to be holy,” can¬ 
not be a true experimental believer in Christ. The 
smallest degree of justifying, saving faith brings- this 
charming state to the view of the soul, begins within 
the gracious work of cleansing, and gives an enjoyment 
so infinitely transcending every other, that delight in 
holiness and a desire to obtain it in greater measure, 
must be identical with a state of pardon. Terrible as is 
the necessity, he who does not desire to be holy, must, 
if he would not be self-deceived, regard himself as “ in 
the gall of bitterness, and in the bonds of iniquity.” 
But there are doubtless degrees of Christian desire ; and 
it is not merely an ordinary desire for purity which will 
arouse the soul and excite to the right action. We have 
sought to exhibit the intrinsic and practical excellence 
of this great blessing in such strong and varied light as 



IN ITS CLAIMS. 


155 


to stimulate this desire and make it the absorbing and 
permanent feeling of the soul. May we not ask you to 
look it oyer again and again, see its loveliness contrasted 
with all impurity,—thank God when you see its charms 
and feel the power of its attractions, and, by earnest 
devout meditation, reading and prayer, strive to increase 
this desire ? Let nothing divert you. Let no device of 
Satan deceive you. Your safety here and hereafter 
depends upon it. 

We now present the encouraging fact that it is possi¬ 
ble to be holy. If the desire exist, if it he strong, 
increasing, absorbing, then we can conceive of nothing 
more pertinent, more probable and pressing, than the 
question, is it possible ? Can it be ? A worm—a sin¬ 
ner—such a sinner as I! True, I have been pardoned! 
My Savior has shown me unexampled mercy! He has 
made me an heir of eternal life! And every day I am 
compelled to confess my heart wanderings, and my 
offences before him, and humbly beg and receive his 
forgiveness! But then I am so unworthy,—I am so 
frail and erring,—so fallible in every thing, is it possible 
that I can be saved from these infirmities ? No, surely. 
You have mistaken the question. It is not of infirmities 
that we speak,—not of frailty and fallibility! These are 
hereditary effects of the fall—of ancestral and personal 
crimes; and they are now constitutional. They may, 
perhaps, be partially remedied. They may be, in part 
or in whole, antagonized by gracious gifts. Deliver¬ 
ance from them is not the possibility contemplated. But 
your inward corruptions—the sources of those unholy 
*,houghts and feelings, desires, motives, and purposes, 
rhicb you have so often felt, and which have so fre- 


156 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


quently manifested themselves, in wrong words and 
actions, which explain your oft-returning listlessness, 
forgetfulness of God,—dulness in devotion, levity, and 
worldly tendencies ; which have so often grieved the 
Holy Spirit, wounded the Savior and exposed you to 
the reproaches of conscience, the hisses of sinners and 
devils, and to guilty apostasy! These—ah, these inward 
corruptions ! Can you be saved from these, so as to be 
really “ pure in heart,”—really dead to self and dead 
to the world, its charms and follies, its riches and 
pleasures; really, all alive unto God,—with a faith that 
takes him at his word, that asks and receives, and that 
triumphs in the flames,—a love that absorbs the whole 
soul in God and makes his will your own ? Can this 
be done? Ah, yes, you answer. This is the ques¬ 
tion. This is what I wish to know. I have so long 
felt the bitterness of these dregs of sin; I have so often 
felt the risings of carnal nature; my peace has been so 
frequently and sddly interrupted, all my services for my 
Heavenly Master have been so seriously marred, and I 
have, in just this way, been so grievously deceived and 
exposed to actual sin, that I have again and again almost 
despaired of salvation. I have thought, and examined, 
and wept, and prayed, and wondered if there was no 
method of relief—no inward, radical, thorough, and per¬ 
manent cure, for these fearful maladies. 

We feel bound to answer, there surely is. We thank 
God for the clearest practicable evidence that we may be 
saved from all sin in this life. But for the present let 
us suppose that the opposite is true—that sin may be 
pardoned, but not cleansed from the soul,—that we may 
even increase by slow and imperceptible degrees in our 


IN ITS CLAIMS. 


157 


power over it, and yet never reach, entire deliverance 
from it! Let ns look at the theology of this position 
and see whether it can by possibility be true. If so, it 
must be for some reasons found in the nature of God,— 
in the plan of the remedial dispensation,—in the nature 
of man, or in the interests of the converted sinner. 

1. If the reasons are in the nature of God, they must 
relate either to his ability or willingness. And shall we 
assert a doctrine which limits the divine power to save ? 
No, we cannot, we dare not. He made the soul, and 
can change, or even annihilate it at pleasure, or he is 
not the Almighty. If, as it should, the question relate 
to the moral and official ability of the divine Savior, then 
it is answered in his own words, “ All power is given 
to me in heaven and in earth.” No person of sound 
mind could therefore assert the inability of God to 
cleanse us Lorn all sin in this life, and probably no one 
could be found formally to assert it, and yet we are 
greatly in error if there is not really in the church a 
vast amount of concealed infidelity just at this point. 
Have not you, reader, detected yourself in saying,— 
it cannot be done—not for me; it is impossible that I 
should become a perfect Christian? Let me beseech 
you never more to think thus unworthily of God your 
Maker, your Redeemer. At least, let this point be set¬ 
tled for ever. He can—he has the power—there are 
no limits to his power, none lo his sovereign prerogatives. 
And is not this a point of exceeding importance ? Does 
it not throw a new and glorious light upon your soul—to 
admit it—to believe it fully, unreservedly to believe it ? 
O, what gratitude arises within you for this one triumph! 

Maintain it by grace divine, by humble, holy, fervent 
14 


158 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


prayer, by rising, struggling faith. Maintain it against 
the wiles of the devil, the suggestions of your own 
heart, and the cavils of opposers. There is power in 
Christ to cleanse from all sin. 

If entire salvation from sin in this life be impossible, 
for reasons found in the nature of God, as they cannot 
relate to his power, they must to his will. And how, 
we ask, does the intimation appear when fully expressed ? 
God has the power to cleanse us entirely; but he is not 
disposed to do it! He prefers that inward corruption 
should remain in those he intends to save ! He loves 
sin more than holiness! Alas! This is blasphemy; 
and yet who can claim that it is not God’s will, that 
it is not his choice, his divine preference, to remove all 
corruption from the hearts of his people, without assert¬ 
ing it ? No, this cannot be true. From the infinite 
holiness of his nature, he abhors all sin—not any par¬ 
ticular form of it merely, but every conceivable form, 
because it is sin, and he cannot prefer it to holiness. 
The argument from his infinite love is perfectly conclu¬ 
sive. With all the affection of a benevolent father, he 
yearns over us, and longs to see us washed and saved 
completely from this ruinous defilement. Yes, he is 
more than willing. He is anxious. He has entered 
upon the most stupendous system of exertion for the 
accomplishment of this very purpose. Think, we be¬ 
seech you, of any wrong which you find in yourself— 
of the least remaining depravity, and then think of the 
purity of God, and the efforts of his love to purify you, 
and see if you can say, or for a moment entertain the 
idea, that he is not willing to deliver you from it. No 
sane mind can do it. Another point of great import- 


IN ITS CLAIMS. 


159 


ance is gained. Lay hold of it by a faith that will never 
yield. “ It is the will of God even your sanctification,” 
in the highest, fullest sense. In God, there is no barrier 
to the progress of this work to its entire completion. 
What feelings of soul does this truth originate ? Are 
you not dissolved in humble, adoring gratitude, as you 
entertain it; and as putting the two great facts together 
you exclaim, “ God is able and willing to deliver me 
from all unrighteousness ? ” 

2. But can we find this impossibility in the nature of 
the remedial dispensation ? That is, while the power 
and the will which our entire deliverance requires, re¬ 
side infinitely in the divine nature, is the scheme of 
redemption such as to be of necessity only partial here ? 
Are the provisions in their own nature defective either 
in efficiency, or in adjustment to the divine will ? This 
would surely be an unworthy view of the wisdom of 
God—of the efficacy of Christ’s blood, and of the power 
of the Holy Ghost. Is it possible to conceive, strictly 
speaking, of a scheme of salvation that is partly, and 
only partly efficacious—that can relieve us from a por¬ 
tion—a large portion—nearly all indeed, of our sins, 
but not from the whole of them ? What is required to 
save a soul in any sense,—from any part of its sins ? 
Most evidently, satisfaction to divine justice, a full, a 
perfect atonement, and an actual influence of divine 
efficiency; and can any thing more than this be demanded 
for the utmost salvation ? To begin the work in its 
lowest degree, requires infinite love—infinite atoning 
merit—infinite efficiency, and this is all we claim, all we 
want for the work of entire salvation. No, there is no 
impossibility in the scheme itself. If it can save 


160 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


from a single sin, it can save from all — if from 
the highest, it can from the lowest degree of 
impurity, and if from the vilest forms of iniquity, as 
in the first work of mercy in a sinner’s heart, it can 
from the less enormous remains of the carnal mind. Let 
this point also rest, in the clearness and strength of your 
faith. The plan is no partial one ; it is worthy of God. 
It is adjusted to the whole necessity. To attempt to 
limit it, is to destroy it, and this you 'will never do. You 
will rather rejoice in the clear assurance that “ the blood 
of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin ; ”—that there is 
actually no want of your nature which is not provided 
for. 

3. And must we stop to inquire whether, in the na¬ 
ture of man, there is any necessary obstacle to the full 
triumph of Christ in the soul ? It seems hardly re¬ 
quired, for who would say that corruption is so deep 
that it cannot be equalled by the atoning blood; that 
the stains of sin are so dark and indelible that they 
cannot be washed away; that such is the obscurity, the 
unworthiness, the weakness, the nothingness, of a poor, 
weeping, pleading believer, as that no power, no efficacy 
can prevail to make him pure ? True, there may be an 
insuperable difficulty in man. He may decline the 
cleansing blood. He may refuse the saving operations 
of the Holy Ghost. His will may not harmonize with 
the will of God, and hence, though Christ is fully able 
and willing, yea anxious, to cleanse him entirely, it 
will not be done. But it is not of such a case that we 
are speaking. Suppose, rather, the spirit to be entirely 
yielding; to loathe utterly, and renounce forever, its 
inward depravity; to make, in the best manner possible 


IN ITS CLAIMS. 


161 


to its graciously aided powers, an entire consecration of 
itself to God forever; to throw itself without reserve 
upon the merits of Christ for a full salvation, believing 
this moment that the blood is sufficient—that it can save 
to the uttermost—that it will and does now save from 
all indwelling sin; then, under these circumstances, is 
there any thing in the nature of sin, or in the enfeebled 
and undeserving condition of the human soul, that 
must and will inevitably prevent the completion of the 
work ? No, we cannot admit it. If it were to he ac¬ 
complished by human power, then the resistance would 
be too strong—the work too great; but it is God who 
says, “ Come, let us reason together; though your sins 
be as scarlet, they shall be as wool—though they be red 
like crimson they shall be whiter than snow.” It is the 
blood of Jesus and not human merit. Then, 

“ My flesh which cries—it cannot be. 

Shall silence keep before the Lord, 

And earth, and hell, and sin shall flee, 

At Jesus’ everlasting word.” 

4. And as to the interests of the converted soul, 
there can be no question. These are surely all on the 
side of entire salvation. No fact is more painfully evi¬ 
dent, to the consciousness of the devout Christian, than 
that his remaining corruptions mar his peace, interrupt 
his growth in grace, and weaken the power of his faith, 
and his religious efforts in behalf of others. No moral 
necessity can be found in ourselves—in what it is law¬ 
ful or expedient for us to do, in what we can rationally 
hope to enjoy, or what, in this life or the next, we can 
reasonably dread, for our retaining aught of our inward 
sins. The argument is all on the other side. We are 

14 # 


162 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


hastening to the world of retribution, where all our 
interests are in a world of immaculate purity. Could 
we but know the power of holiness to bless, our long¬ 
ing hearts would pant for it, until we could realize it in 
all its fulness. 

Designedly deferring for the moment, the great divine 
scriptural argument, we have thus found abundant a 
priori reasons for claiming that the power and will of 
God—the plan of salvation by Christ, and the nature 
and interests of man all combine and harmonize in the 
position, that it is possible to be delivered from all sin 
in this life. 


SECOND: THE POSSIBILITY OE HOLINESS SHOWN FROM SCRIPTURE. 

Jehovah speaks! Listen, O my soul! It is the voice 
of command. The authority of my Sovereign is in it. 
Let me bow before it with awe and reverence—with 
filial confidence and love. 

1. Let us examine the divine command, “Be ye holy, 
for I am holy.” It is righteous, beyond all question. 
But is not this in some way an accommodated command 
—applicable to ancient Israel, and relating to ceremonial 
purity ? No, for it is repeated in the New Testament, 
and with all the solemnity of imperative law, to the Chris¬ 
tian church. This is conceded. But is it not a kind of 
holiness which can coexist with the remains of carnal 
nature ? Beally it is not. There is no way of escape. 
“Be ye therefore perfect as youx Father which is in 
heaven is perfect.” “As he which hath called you is 
holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation.” 
This then is Heaven’s order, not that we should be gods. 


IN ITS CLAIMS. 


163 


or even angels, but men; purified men, holy men; so 
God ordains. 

Let us then pause a little, for humble, sincere reflec¬ 
tion. Would God utter impracticable orders ? True, 
orders which were at one time practicable may be im¬ 
practicable at another. For we may wickedly dispose 
of our ability to obey, and this will by no means dis¬ 
charge us from the obligation, but rather greatly increase 
the guilt. Such was doubtless the condition of our first 
parents. But would he repeat the order to fallen beings 
under a dispensation of remedy, amid the condemnations 
of the law, and the rich provisions of the gospel, with 
no purpose but to tantalize us ? Would he teach us that 
it is still his will that we should be holy—would he abso¬ 
lutely require it of us, and repeat the command in such 
a variety of forms as to preclude the possibility of mis¬ 
take, yet knowing himself, and fully intending that no 
such tiling could be possible ? We cannot entertain a 
thought so unworthy of the God we adore. No. Let 
us look into that firm command, not merely with sub¬ 
mission, but with hope. He who knows all my sins, 
who understands all my weakness and unworthiness, he 
commands me to “ be holy.” He from whom all my 
help must come—he who knows that I can do nothing of 
myself, that in him alone I have redemption—he com¬ 
mands me to “be holy.” Then it must be possible. 
He to whom all things are light, who can see the end 
from the beginning, must have discovered some way to 
accomplish it. He has found out a ransom, he knows 
a cleansing power that is equal to the work, or he would 
never have spoken to my poor soul, saying, “Be ye 
holy.” Dark as it may be before me, impossible as it 


164 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


may seem to cleanse one so impure as I, yet “ with. God 
all things are possible.” And even in the case of a 
poor worm of earth, “ all things are possible to him that 
believeth.” 

Let me then no longer doubt, so long as the com¬ 
mand is on record, and I am compelled to believe it is 
spoken to me, I must,—I will believe that it is possible 
for even me to be holy. 

2. But Jehovah speaks again! Let me hear the words 
he utters. And will he now condemn me utterly for my 
helplessness ? Is there no relief for this agonized heart ?— 
agonized because so sensibly impure. O, my heavenly 
Father, speak not to me in thy wrath, lest I sink to hope¬ 
less woe. “ I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and 
ye shall be clean; from all your filthiness, and from all 
your idols will I cleanse you.” This is the soul of com¬ 
passion,—a voice of love, tender, holy love. “ Ye shall 
be clean.” O what could I ask more? This is the 
burning desire of my heart. I see these stains, these 
deep inward stains. Every day they seem darker to me. 
I cannot bear them. I turn away from them and loathe 
myself on account of them. And now, I hear the om¬ 
nipotent God say, “ Ye shall be clean.” But let me not 
prematurely rejoice. This is an ancient saying. It was 
addressed to some who were in need of cleansing, but 
have long since passed away. May I claim that prom¬ 
ise ? This much I dare to think. Sin is always in na¬ 
ture the same. If for one a complete ransom is found, 
I think it must be applicable to all. It was under an 
old dispensation, and even then it was possible to cleanse 
God’s people, to make them “ clean ”—“ from all their 
filthiness, and from all their idols to cleanse them.” It 


IN ITS CLAIMS. 


165 


must be possible, or so glorious a promise would not 
have been made. And if an ancient child of God might 
be cleansed, may not I ? There is encouragement in 
this word, that lifts up my heart. But what does my 
Savior say ? I want the question settled—settled for my 
own soul. I hunger and thirst. O, let me hear my own 
Savior’s voice. “ Blessed are they that hunger and 
thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.” “ Fil¬ 
led ! ” O, my Savior, this is what my soul desires. I 
have felt a void, a deficiency. I have been sweetly happy 
in a sense of pardon, in the blessings of salvation from 
the guilt of sin; but still I have longed for the fulness. 
I would have no part of my soul’s capacity unoccupied 
for the use of the world, or the flesh, or the devil. I 
would be filled with God, “ with all the fulness of God.” 
And now listen, O, my panting spirit. Hear the voice 
of him who “ spake as never man spake.” “ They shall 
be filled! ” This is a divine assurance, and it shall sup¬ 
port my faith. 

But pardon my urgent inquiry. This thorough 
cleansing, this completion of holiness, cannot be the 
work of human power. 

Let me see the provision which meets my craving 
wants. “ If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, 
w T e have fellowship one with another, and the blood of 
Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanseth us from all sin.” “ The 
blood of Jesus! ” This is the only plea for sinners. 
This is a finished revelation upon the subject. For there 
are no limits to the power of this “blood.” It was de¬ 
signed to cover the whole ground, to make the whole, 
the sufficient, the only satisfaction which the law requires, 
the only remedy of which our fallen natures admit. 


166 


TIIE CENTRAL IDEA 


What reason have I to fix any limits to its power ? 
What peculiarity of my own depravity is excluded? 
Why should I admit that the atonement is complete for 
others and not for myself—for a part of my sins and not 
for the whole—for some period of time, and not for the 
present ? And if there is power in the blood of Christ 
to cleanse me from all sin, it must surely be possible to 
be holy, for me to be holy, and stand complete in all the 
will of God. 

3. And it is sweet to remember that inspired men 
have prayed for the accomplishment of this work in the 
hearts of believers. “ And the very God of peace sanctify 
you wholly, and I pray God your whole spirit and soul 
and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our 
Lord Jesus Christ.’’ How bold is the request! How 
confident! Hot the petition of doubt or fear—not based 
upon the supposition that it is a blessing to be desired, 
but not with expectation. It is not as much as to say, 
“ It is to be regretted that you remain sanctified only in 
part. It would be glorious, if the thing were possible, 
for you to be sanctified wholly. If I were not fearful 
that it is not in accordance with the divine will, I would 
really ask for you the blessing of entire sanctification.” 
Ho. There is nothing doubtful, no hesitancy here. 
Promptly, boldly, reliably, I pray “ the very God of 
peace sanctify you wholly.” It is not said, I would ask 
this blessing for you, were I not fearful that if you were 
to experience it, you would soon lose it again; if I was 
sure there was any method of preserving you in this 
exalted state. Ho such halting. “ The very God of 
peace sanctify you wholly, and preserve you blameless 
unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” And then, 


IN ITS CLAIMS. 


167 


that nothing might be wanting to ensure confidence and 
inspire faith, he adds, “Faithful is he that calleth you, 
who also will do it.” Once more the evidence is com¬ 
plete. And, with humble gratitude, I assure my tremb¬ 
ling heart, that it is possible for me to be holy in this 
present life. 

4. This triumph over human depravity has been 
already achieved in numberless instances ; but, if only in 
one, that of itself must be conclusive. Take two pas¬ 
sages of holy writ, one from the Old Testament, and 
the other from the New. “Mark the perfect man, and 
behold the upright, for the end of that man is peace.” 
There must of course have been a “ perfect man ” to 
“mark,”—some holy man, whose soul had been purified 
from its defilement, and who had become so sweet in 
his temper, so heavenly-minded, so full of burning love 
and zeal for God, that all the people knew him. It was 
safe to refer to him, to point him out as a model man; 
and derive from his exemplary life and peaceful death, 
the most convincing argument in favor of the same con¬ 
secration, and the most powerful inducements to make it, 
thoroughly, and at once. Nay, it was not one man alone. 
So many there surely were, that any man could see 
them. They stood out so distinctly before the world, as 
the grand monuments of redemption, that David could 
call upon all, distant as they were from each other, 
to take notice of such men; to see how “ perfect ” they 
were in character, how “upright” in life, and with 
what “ peace ” they could die ! This perfection, up¬ 
rightness, and peace were attainable then, for men 
secured them, and lived as bright and burning lights 
in the midst of darkness. 

\ 


168 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


“ Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see 
God.” So said the adorable Savior; and who w^ould 
wish to say there are not—there never has been— 
there never can be, any “pure in heart” on earth? 
Why did not the disciples say, “Lord, where are 
the pure in heart? We have never seen any! All 
the human beings we know are more or less corrupt! 
And if none but the f pure in heart ’ can f see God,’ 
then, alas! no one can see him ; for there are none 
f pure in heart.’ ” Had they said this, they must 
have received a rebuke similar to that which followed 
the exclamation, “ Lord, who then can be saved ? ” 
“With God, all things are possible,” even to get a 
rich man ready for heaven. No. It would have been 
just as appropriate to have said, “ There are no poor 
in spirit,”—there are no “ meek,”—there are none who 
“hunger and thirst after righteousness,”—none who 
are “persecuted for righteousness’ sake,” as to have 
said there are no “ pure in heart.” All these beati¬ 
tudes are connected with actual conditions upon earth. 
There may have been none of either class in the group 
around the person of the Savior; but if not, they 
were elsewhere. If not there, they would be some¬ 
where in the world, to pass through all these varied 
states; and the “ pure in heart,” should “ see God,” 
should be wrapped in the visions of the Infinite, by 
faith on earth, and without a dimming veil in glory. 

But let us be still more special. “ Enoch walked 
with God, and he was not, for God took him.” This is 
the moral state which we affirm to be possible. To 
have the soul so completely purified as that there will 
be no rebellion in it, no setting up of rival authority 


IN ITS CLAIMS. 


169 


nor of selfish, worldly plans, conflicting with those of 
the omniscient Jehovah ; so completely subdued and 
renovated as to come into immediate and uninterrupted 
harmony with the mind of God—to agree with God— 
in feelings, views, purposes, efforts, and will—“ walk 
with God,”—elevated to the fellowship of God—to the 
society of God; to enjoy the unspeakable honor of his 
company in the highway of holiness, “ cast up for the 
ransomed of the Lord to walk in.” All who are thus 
purified will not be taken by a miracle directly to 
heaven, but he who went up without seeing death must 
have been holy before his ascension. Yes, other men 
had gone away from God—deserted, abandoned, op¬ 
posed him! Yet others had gone to him—had been 
with him for a time—at different times; but “ Enoch 
walked with God.” They had become—let us speak 
it with reverence—bosom companions. They were 
not equals. Surely not; infinity was between them. 
They were not equals, but “ friends!” “By faith 
Enoch was translated, that he should not see death.” 
He had, however, before this triumph, “ walked with 
God ” for many happy years ! 

Abraham, “the father of the faithful/’—what a fin¬ 
ished, sanctified character did he attain;! He was quite 
imperfect, when he began to obey God. He showed 
his need of entire sanctification in many instances; but 
his “ faith ” waxed stronger and stronger, until he be¬ 
came at last like gold tried in the fire. Read his his¬ 
tory, watch the struggles of his giant intellect with the 
dim visions of glory passing before him in the revela¬ 
tions of God; and the triumph of his spirit, now calm, 

settled, strong, and living in the very atmosphere of 
16 


no 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


heaven, on Mount Moriah, where the word of God was 
law, not to a soul of mean and cowardly submission for 
fear of a greater evil—-law to a soul that mounted upon 
the pinions of a towering faith—that left all earthly 
affections below the sphere of moral sublimity to which 
he had ascended. 

Job was “a perfect and an upright man, that feared 
God, and eschewed evil,” not merely in the sunshine 
of prosperity. So deeply was his mind imbued with 
the spirit of loyalty, so thoroughly had he been puri¬ 
fied from the earthliness of the carnal mind, and so 
profound was his knowledge of the ways of the Almighty, 
that no calamity could move him from his integrity. His 
property was swept away, his children were taken from 
him, his body was reduced to a mass of corruption, his 
friends and his bosom companion turned violently against 
him, yet, “in all this. Job sinned not with his lips, nei¬ 
ther charged God foolishly.” Splendid specimen of 
holiness on earth—tried in the fire, and come forth as 
gold! 

And you have not forgotten “ Zechariah and Eliza¬ 
beth,” who “ walked in all the ordinances of the Lord 
blameless; ” unlike many of us—delighted with some 
of the divine ordinances—ready to yield most promptly 
and gladly to those which harmonize with what seems 
our present good and future safety, but most anxious to 
avoid those which are crossing to the flesh, and hum¬ 
bling to human pride. Thank God, some have been so 
completely baptized into the spirit of obedience as to 
“ walk,” from holy choice, “ in all the ordinances of God 
blameless.” Who shall say it is not possible ? 

But we must not forget the sainted Paul, whose proud, 


IN ITS CLAIMS. 


171 


rebellious heart was humbled by a stroke of divine power, 
who rose from one degree of grace to another, was 
“ changed into the same image from glory to glory as by 
the spirit of the Lord,” until at length he could say, 
“ I am ready to be offered, the time of my departure 
is at hand, I have fought a good fight, I have finished 
my course, I have kept the faith, henceforth there is laid 
up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the 
righteous Judge, shall give me at that day.” Ah, this 
was triumph. “ I am ready! ” Death has no terrors. 
“For me to live is Christ, but to die is gain.” “I am 
ready!” This is the state we affirm to be possible. 
How could we do otherwise without ^ejecting history, 
and despising the facts of revelation ? 

But “ time would fail us ” to speak distinctly of these 
shining examples of entire sanctification. We long to 
dwell at length upon the experience of the beloved dis¬ 
ciple, whose soul was love—pure, hallowed, perfect 
love; melting, shining, burning brightly, in the glow¬ 
ing language of inspiration. He wrote of “ perfect love.” 
He spoke of it with subduing tenderness. He dwelt in 
God, and God in him, the very thing that we claim to 
be possible. 

And modern Christianity glows with examples as 
bright as any upon the sacred page. Remember the holy 
Wesley, the seraphic Fletcher, and his devout compan¬ 
ion. Call to mind the sanctified Nelson and Carvosso, 
Hester Ann Rogers, and Lady Maxwell, the flaming 
Payson and covenanted Judson. Look into the churches 
of our Lord Jesus Christ even now, and see how many 
he has washed with his own blood until they are 
“ cleansed from all unrighteousness,” and tell me, can 


172 


THE CENTRAL IDEA. 


there be any doubt that it is possible to be holy in this 
life. 

Who, indeed, will pause to doubt, in view of the 
purity qf heaven into which nothing unclean can ever 
enter, in view of the blood of Christ, which waits to 
cleanse,—of the baptism of fire, which awaits the believ¬ 
ing, of the ransomed hosts who are ready to be offered, 
and the ransomed host who stand upon the sea of glass, 
having the harps of God in their hands ? O, there is 
no doubt; it is clear as the sun shining in its strength; it 
can be done. The arrangements are all made; the pro¬ 
vision is perfect ; the sea rolls before us. Let us us step 
in and be clean. TVe have thus revealed, another grand 
claim of this central idea; it is possible to be holy. 


SEC. III. IT IS NECESSARY TO BE HOLY. 

FIRST s SHOWN FROM THE END OF MAN’S CREATION AND THE 
NATURE OF GOD. 

Many will admit that it is desirable, that it transcends 
in importance all other objects of interest to an immor¬ 
tal soul. They are convinced that it is possible; for 
they do not dare to limit the power of God, nor the 
efficacy of his remedies. 

But they do not regard it as necessary,—as indis¬ 
pensable. They incline to resolve the whole into a 
question of expediency or convenience. And, as it is 
inconvenient to give thorough attention to it; incon¬ 
venient to part with many cherished worldly grati¬ 
fications ; inconvenient to be wholly and only Christians, 
they waive it, and think they have committed no wrong. 


IN ITS CLAIMS. 


173 


violated no law, run no risk! But we propose to show 
that entire deliverance from sin is not a mere question 
of convenience; that it is not left simply to our dis¬ 
cretion ; that it is a fixed, unalterable necessity; a 
matter of imperative obligation, demanding immediate 
attention—thorough and successful attention—such a 
necessity as that failure in relation to it must be finally 
fatal. 

1. We argue, from the purpose of man’s creation, and 
his primitive moral condition. It is certainly in har¬ 
mony with Revelation, as well as the general sense of 
the church, to say, “The chief end of man” is, “to 
glorify God and enjoy him forever.” But God is glori¬ 
fied by holiness alone. Sin interferes with his glory. 
It is the grand element and fact of rebellion in his 
universal empire. Wrong in itself, essentially and 
unalterably corrupt, it is against all his plans, and the 
occasion of all the disturbance in a government, designed 
to show tne power of universal harmony in the right. 
Just in proportion to its extent, it prevents the glory 
which would accrue to the Divine Being in the reign of 
universal goodness, happiness, and progressive per¬ 
fection. Conquered, held in check, and resisted as it is, 
in the justified state, it yet, however concealed and 
plausible, is an antagonist force that resists the spirit 
and plans of God, and loses no opportunity to seek and 
gain the ascendency. Only the heart entirely conse¬ 
crated, from which sin is all excluded, which is wholly 
dissolved in love, can completely glorify God. Then all 
the ransomed powers flow sweetly in the channel of the 
divine requirements. God is glorified by the pure flame 
of love which is the essential element of his own 
15 * 


174 


THE CENTRAL IDEA. 


character and felicity. He is glorified by the exhibition, 
before earth and heaven, of the power of his remedial 
goodness, the efficacy of the Savior’s blood, and the 
renovating force of the Holy Spirit in the soul of man. 
He is glorified by the pure, the steady, and increasing 
light which goes out from his consecrated ones upon the 
moral darkness of the world. He is glorified by the 
sweet, humble and convincing testimony of his witnesses. 
He is glorified by the moral power of experimental, 
practical holiness in rebuking sin, in resisting and 
diminishing the influence of the Prince of Darkness, by 
the inward redeeming agency for God, and truth, and 
heaven, which goes out in this world of sin, and by the 
trophies of grace brought home to the Redeemer in 
heaven. 

Had sin been an element and condition of God’s 
declarative glory, it would have been created at the 
first; and, had its production and continuance, however 
subjugated, been compatible with that glory, there had 
been no arrangements made for its destruction; no 
blood provided which “ cleanseth from all sin.” But, 
because it was directly and unchangeably otherwise, man 
was created “ in the image of God,” “ in righteousness 
and true holiness,” and, when this divine image was 
lost, was superseded by positive corruption, all the 
stupendous arrangements of the remedial dispensation 
were put forth to restore it. No; there can be no 
chance for mistake in the announcement; the glory of 
God requires our deliverance from all sin. This, the 
chief end of our creation, can never be fully realized 
without it. 

2. We argue it from the nature of God. We cannot 


IN ITS CLAIMS. 


175 


fathom the depths of infinite purity. The heavenly 
orders cry before him who sits upon the throne, “ Holy, 
holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is 
full of his glory.” This is the nature we are tq please. 
To this awful moral attribute we must be adjusted in 
character, affections, motives and will, if we reach the 
other object of our creation “to enjoy him forever.” 
With this holy nature we are to be compared, not in its 
infinitude, but in its freedom from all defilement, and its 
unchangeable devotion to the good and the true. With 
this august, living purity, we are to be united. God 
proposes to dw*ell in us as his temple,—to “ sup with 
us and we with him.” How appropriately, then, are 
w r e required to “ come out, and be separate; touch not, 
taste not, the unclean thing; ” to “ cleanse ourselves 
Lorn all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holi¬ 
ness in the fear of God.” In pity to our fallen con¬ 
dition, he begins his reign in us before “sin is all 
destroyed.” 

Partly that the completion of the work may depend 
upon faithfulness to the grace already given, and partly, 
perhaps, for reasons which we do not understand, he 
forms with us a spiritual union at the time of our con¬ 
version, notwithstanding our remaining depravity! But 
what, we ask, is the fair inference from that fact ? That 
he means thus to hallow and legalize these remaining 
corruptions ? That they are licensed to remain under 
the divine sanction, because our “ bodies are the temples 
of the Holy Ghost ? ” Surely, directly otherwise. He 
enters, and will only consent to remain, as a conqueror; 
and though, in general, as in the direction to Israel, in 
relation to the Canaanites, these subjugated foes are 


176 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


“driven out little by little,” yet the expulsion must 
proceed, or, like those terrible foes, they will become 
“pricks in our eyes, and thorns in our sides.” 

Without a figure, if we, in our voluntary states, aim 
not against our remaining tendency to “ the lust of the 
flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life,”—against 
them steadily, actively, energetically, so as to concede to 
them no willing, quiet home within our bosoms; if we 
indulge first a slight, and then a growing pleasure in their 
existence, and concede to them a voluntary gratification, 
we shall “ defile the temple of God,” and be exposed 
to the fearful penalty. “ If any man defile the temple 
of God, him will God destroy.” 

What, now, we ask, will prepare us for the enjoyment 
of this spiritual union—for growing, and finally completed 
oneness with the divine nature ? The wrongs that are 
within us are uneasy in this august presence. The 
risings of self, and the stirrings of depravity, are inter¬ 
ruptions of the harmony which God seeks to produce 
within. They initiate, and, if granted license, perpetuate 
rebellion in the citadel, once reduced to subordination. 
It need not, then, be further argued. 

The fact that we are to have all our happiness from 
“fellowship with the Father, and with his son, Jesus 
Christ,” shows conclusively in the nature of God the 
necessity for holiness in men. Before his bar we are 
finally to appear, and the only grand question there 
will be one of completely restored harmony with the 
character of the Judge; harmony in moral condition; 
harmony in will, and motive, and labor; reached, and, 
(so far as opportunity has allowed,) enacted in previous 
probation. In fact, so intimately are we related to the 


IN ITS CLAIMS. 


177 


Divine Being, so utterly are we dependent upon him, so 
impossible is it to flee from his presence, and so com¬ 
pletely do his own resources comprise every thing upon 
which our well being, in time and eternity, depends, 
that we must argue, from the nature of God, his right¬ 
ful demands upon us. As verily as holiness is the attri¬ 
bute of Jehovah, it is necessary for us to he holy. With 
what appropriateness of authority and power does he 
say, “ Be ye holy, for I am holy ”! 

He who cannot see, in the nature of God, the abso¬ 
lute necessity of purity in us, does not know God nor 
man. What drew from the prophet the exclamation, 
“ Ah, Lord God, woe is me, for I am undone; for I 
am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell among a people 
of unclean lips ?” He shall give the answer, “ For 
mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts.” 

Let any one who doubts the necessity of deliverance 
from all sin, pause for a while before the awful purity 
of God, and receive upon his soul, and into its deepest 
recesses, the searching light that beams from his brow, 
and glances from his eye, and he will presently cry out, 
with the prophet, “Woe is me, for I am undone; for I 
am a man of unclean -lips; for mine eyes have seen the 
King, the Lord of Hosts.” How appropriate will then 
be the language of the poet:— 


“ I loathe myself when God I see, 
And into nothing fall; 

Content that thou exalted be, 
And Christ be all in all.” 


Let him, then, we earnestly entreat, join with another, 
and say, “ Cleanse thou me from secret faults; ” and. 


1T8 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


when this prayer is fully answered, he will know what 
it is to derive his richest happiness from the visions of 
God. He will fully appreciate the glorious beatitude 
pronounced by the Savior, “Blessed are the pure in 
heart; for they shall see God.” 


SECOND : SHOWN FROM THE NATURE AND DEMANDS OF LAW AND THE 
WORK AND MISSION OF THE CHURCH. 

1. We have further proofs from the nature and de¬ 
mands of God’s law. “ The law is holy, and the com¬ 
mandment holy, and just, and good; ” and it can, hence, 
never be repealed or modified. It comes from a Being 
of immaculate purity, and cannot, therefore, include one 
unholy element, or assert one unrighteous claim. Its 
demands are based upon the principles of eternal and 
unchangeable rectitude, and adapted to man, not as he 
is, but as he ought to be. It is the rule with which 
every fact of his character and his life, must be com¬ 
pared—not a flexible, accommodating rule, suited to his 
ever-changing moral condition and capacity, but a rule 
of exact righteousness; and as soon might the immuta¬ 
ble God change, as the law of rectitude, which is, and 
must be, a perfect expression of himself, in the relations 
implied. 

Now, when we speak of this law, in reference to 
actual transgressions, we have no hesitancy in saying 
that it is strictly uncompromising. We expect no relief 
for a voluntary agent, who places himself against it. 
We find no opportunity for mercy, in the dispositions of 
the divine government, toward the wilful rebel. “By 
the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified,” because 


IN ITS CLAIMS. 


179 


the question raised is a question of fact, as well as of 
justice. The difference between the sinner and the law 
is an existing fact. It cannot he otherwise. No cir¬ 
cumstances can render it non-existent, and the difference 
between the two things, compared, is an eternal differ¬ 
ence. This shows, not what a man must do to be 
saved, but what the law is, and what it will be found, 
under any dispensation, whether of justice or mercy. 

But will any one assert that the divine law has refer¬ 
ence merely to the overtact? We presume not. Be¬ 
yond all question, it relates to the passions, to the thoughts, 
to the purposes and motives, and, back of all these, to 
the moral condition whence they spring. This, in the 
first and strongest sense, is that “ word of God, which 
is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two- 
edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asun¬ 
der of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, 
and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of 
the heart.” That moral state, in which arise, even in 
the justified believer, “ the lust of the flesh, and the lust 
of the eye, and the pride of life,” is surely reached, and 
condemned by the law. It is wrong, essentially and 
unchangeably wrong, and no depths of the soul are be¬ 
yond the penetrating light of God’s holy law. The 
profound and concealed position of this remaining de¬ 
pravity, has no tendency to place it beyond the reach of 
divine recognition. And if it be not condemned as it 
is recognized, how is it wrong ? How can remaining 
corruption be any thing else than perfect purity, if the 
law passes it by, or stamps it with approval ? And when 
did the Divine Being intimate that his law had become 
so impaired in the vigor of its strength, and so tolerant 


180 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


in its adjustments, as to pronounce no condemnation 
upon rising lust, which must instantly be put down; or 
springing pride, which must be resisted with firmness 
and success; or uprising covetousness, which, if indul¬ 
ged, is idolatry• merely because they were in a believer ? 
To assert it would be gross antinomianism. No. This 
unsanctified moral condition is not less wrong, is not 
less sternly condemned by the law, because the soul in 
which it inheres is penitent and believing, and, there¬ 
fore, pardoned. We do not, let it be again remarked, 
thus find, or seek to find, our remedy. But we assert 
the strict cognizance, and the unchangeable dominion of 
the law, which, though its condemnatory power does 
not extend to the agent, in his relations to atoning blood, 
yet reaches the moral elements within him, which ren¬ 
der that atonement indispensable. 

But it must not be forgotten that the reign of mercy 
will be over at some time future, that the mediatorial 
throne will be given up, and justice then will extend to 
persons, as well as to moral condition. In other words, 
we are to be judged by the law, the flaming law that 
“ is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” 
Grant, that in this probationary state, remaining deprav¬ 
ity can be pardoned, and yet remain, which we find to 
be the unquestionable fact of this remedial state; grant, 
that if he who feels the rising of self against God; of 
lust against purity; of pride against humility; of doubt 
against faith; of anger against pity; and fear against 
love; shall promptly check these wrongs, and so main¬ 
tain and strengthen his hold on Christ, as that God, and 
purity, and humility, and faith, and pity, and love, shall 
have the ascendency, he will retain his acceptance with 


IN ITS CLAIMS. 


181 


God ; though he shall not so believe as to be “ cleansed 
from all sin/’ and enjoy complete deliverance from these 
evil tendencies ; grant all this, as we cheerfully do, 
and assert it with humble gratitude, yet does it follow 
that this dispensation of forgiveness is to extend into 
another world? That the same unremedied tendencies 
may coexist eternally, with the approbation of the Judge, 
and the ineffable glories of heaven. It is impossible. 
The place of remedy is most unquestionably here, in 
a state of probation, where the means and appliances 
of the gospel are at hand, and in active operation, under 
the reign of mercy; and if the time of complete remedy 
be a continuous time, rather, than at first, instantaneous 
—if it does please our Heavenly Father to begin the 
work of purification, with the evident purpose of going 
on to complete it in future time, and to make that com¬ 
pletion contingent upon faithfulness to tfie grace already 
given, and the exercise of a faith that fully appropriates 
the power of Jesus’ blood to “ cleanse from all sin,” and 
even to make our continued justification depend upon 
our going on to perfection,” so that, at no single mo¬ 
ment of our Christian life, can we, voluntarily, consent 
to “ the carnal mind,” without forfeiting the divine favor 
—if all this be true, as we grant and afiirm, yet there 
surely must be a limit to this experimental period. The 
eternal contingency of our deliverance from inward de¬ 
pravity, would be a contradiction of terms, and, at all 
events, contrary to the doctrine of a final judgment, and 
of the ultimate reign of justice. Indeed, nothing is 
theologically more certain, and, we may add, nothing 
practically more important, than that this full salvation 
must, and should take place in this life. The scheme 
10 


182 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


of redemption is by no means obscure at tbis point. If 
it begins with the subjugation of our inward foes, it 
moves on to their complete extermination, and, in many 
instances, leaves time, before death, to “Walk in all the 
ordinances of God, blameless,” that he may show to the 
world his “peculiar people, zealous of good works,” 
“not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing.” It is 
here, in this present world, amid a race of sinners, that, 
“ if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we, [God 
and man,] have fellowship one with another, and the 
blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanseth us from all 
sin.” 

As, therefore, it will be impossible, so, also, there will 
be no necessity that sin and reigning justice should co¬ 
exist in heaven. The divine plan is manifestly otherwise. 
But let not the stress of the law, in this argument, be 
ignored. Let not its strength be denied, as it can by no 
means be impaired. It .is holy, and it demands holiness, 
—finished holiness, in the soul that must come under its 
reign, in a world of retribution. Unless, by some 
means, the law has lost its own unchangeable rectitude; 
unless the perfect happiness of the responsible agent, 
with yet remaining corruptions, has become possible in 
its burning presence; unless the day of probation is 
extended into another life, or the fires of purgatory are 
ordained for our purification in an intermediate state, 
the law of God renders it necessary that we should be 
cleansed from all sin in this life. Once more, let us be 
warned against the ensnaring power of this doctrine— 
of temporizing expediency. It is a fearful, and, (if not 
corrected,) must surely be a fatal error, to presume that 
attention to the doctrine of holiness is optional with us; 


IN ITS CLAIMS. 


183 


that we may, or may not, at pleasure, and with no re¬ 
sponsibility, seek to be “ cleansed from all unrighteous¬ 
ness.” If the law of God has been preserved in all its 
severe and righteous integrity; if it extends to the re¬ 
motest secrets of the heart, as well as to the outward 
life ; if, in probation, it can only be held from consum¬ 
ing the agent with remaining pollutions, by the power 
of a faith that subjugates these corruptions, secures par¬ 
don for them, and moves the soul onward toward entire 
deliverance from them; if the state of forgiveness can 
be maintained only by “ going on to perfection,” before 
death shall terminate the trial state ; and, if the Son of 
God will “ deliver up the kingdom to the Father,” and 
law assume its irresistible reign, then it is necessary to 
be “ holy here ; ” and no Christian is at liberty to treat 
the central idea of Christianity as a matter of mere con¬ 
venience. As sure as God’s law exists in unimpaired 
force, thorough and practical experience of complete 
salvation is necessary, in this life, and so we shall find 
when we come to the judgment. 

2 . The mission and work of the church demand pu¬ 
rity of heart and life. These were never better defined 
than in the words of the great Wesley—“to spread 
scriptural holiness over these lands.” Hard indeed 
must it be to spread it, if we do not possess it. But let 
us not be misunderstood. We do not intend to teach 
that no progress in diffusing the blessings of the gos¬ 
pel can be made, but by the agency of the entirely 
sanctified. God’s compassion has given to all grades of 
piety, their spheres of usefulness. There is an infinite 
fountain of holiness, which sends out its purest streams 
through divine revelation, through the grace of Christ, 


184 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


and the power of the Holy Ghost, to water the moral 
desert of earth. Holy doctrines may be taught, in¬ 
spired arguments and motives may be urged, and scrip¬ 
tural examples may be given, all of which have great 
force in themselves, and cannot fail to keep alive the 
remembrance of this gracious privilege, and to move on 
many precious souls in the way of its enjoyment. And 
the experience of Christians and Christian ministers 
who are -sanctified only in part, but wdio so long for 
purity, and “ grow in grace,” as not to lose their justi¬ 
fication, will give greater or less effect to their teach¬ 
ings. Under the sanction and influence of the divine 
Spirit they will show the way of salvation to sinners, 
and exert a perpetual influence towards making the 
world better. On no account would we in the slightest 
degree disparage this gracious work of God. We would 
join our beloved brethren in humble rejoicing, that “ he 
will not break the bruised reed ”—that the very least 
of us may do something to extend the glory of God in 
this dark world. 

But we mean more than this by the mission and work 
of the church—by “ spreading scriptural holiness over 
these lands.” 

This mission is a mission of light. To a fearful ex¬ 
tent even yet, “ darkness covers the earth, and gross 
darkness the people.” To darkened human vision, the 
true object of worship is obscured, and even in Chris¬ 
tian lands the true good is concealed amid the tempta¬ 
tions of Satan, the corruptions of the heart, and the false 
glitter of this deceiving world. It is even yet true that 
the world by wisdom knows not God; and in the very 
centre of Christendom, as well as far out in heathen 


IN ITS CLAIMS. 


185 


lands, “ when they knew God, they glorified him not 
as God, neither were thankful, but became vain in their 
imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 
Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.’’ 
The rays of divine light must penetrate this moral 
gloom, and through the church, it is known, God shines 
upon the world. To illuminate the dark places, and 
dark hearts of earth, is her first grand commission. In 
her collective character God speaks to her in the lan¬ 
guage of authority: “ Let your light so shine before 
men, that they may see your good works, and glorify 
your Father which is in heaven.” 

To his ministers he says, “ Go ye into all the world 
and preach the gospel to every creature. He that be- 
lieveth and is baptized shall be saved, but he that believeth 
not shall be damned.” Until these divine behests are 
obeyed in their true spirit and extent, darkness will still 
brood over the lands of sin and the hearts of corruption. 

And there is light for the world in holiness. Even 
in its smallest beginnings, it reveals much of the dark¬ 
ness within and around us. But to keep up the figure, 
let the particles of corruption which float in its beams 
be taken away, and in its own intrinsic brightness it will 
shine out as the light of the world. With its own 
strength and intensity, it will reveal with fearful dis¬ 
tinctness, the evils which were before unknown, show 
the obstructions to the march of the Redeemer’s king¬ 
dom, before not suspected to exist, and with amazing 
force its rays will float off over land and sea, for the 
revealing of a world’s corruptions, and miseries, and 
perils, and the work which demands with beseeching 
importunity, the hands, and hearts and revenues of the 
16 * 


186 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


church. Look at the history of the church, and see 
how, amid the purity of the apostolic age, her light 
rebuked the world, guided the humble penitent to the 
ways of peace, and smote the proud and haughty con 
temners of God with terrible judicial blindness. See 
her again in the fourth century, and amid that long, 
dark night of a thousand years, that settled on her like 
the pall of death, how she became “ a hissing and a 
byword,” amid the cursing myriads of Jew and Gentile 
sinners. Dark, dark, dark, for the want of that inward 
holiness which shines wherever it lives, and, when in its 
own intrinsic, unobscured light, beams with ineffable 
brightness upon the world. The church is seen at this 
day, but, it must be humiliatingly confessed, she is dimly 
seen by the nations. Their deeds are reproved, but, 
alas! too tamely and indefinitely reproved, by her 
superior purity. Let her take on the plenary baptism ; 
let her dross be consumed, and her spirits brighten in 
the beams of God’s own immediate and awful holiness; 
and she will no longer be obscure to the eyes of men. 
The guilty will writhe in anguish in her presence. The 
sins of the nations will call out in shame for some place 
of concealment, in the very agony of distress from the 
exposures of her light. Sweet and gracious attractions 
will draw all men to her, and she shall hail a world 
returning to the arms of maternal love. 

Who shall say that this mission of the church can be 
accomplished without the holiness provided in the 
gospel ? Let no one be deceived. The world is dark 
at this moment, because the church is impure. .0, when 
shall the glad time arrive in which she shall in reality 
respond to her call from heaven: “ Arise, shine, for thy 


IN ITS CLAIMS. 


187 


light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon 
thee?” 

But the mission of the church is a mission of purification 
—“to spread scriptural holiness.” We have attempted 
to show what scriptural holiness is. It need not be 
mistaken. Inwardly it is “a clean heart,” with the 
affections regulated, and piously centring in God,” it 
is what the apostle meant when he said: “ I live, never¬ 
theless not I, but Christ liveth in me; ”—and, in its 
outward relations, this: “I am crucified to the world 
and the world unto me,” and this, also: “ Set your 
affections on things above, and not on things on the 
earth; ”—and socially this: “ Whatsoever ye would that 
men should do unto you, do ye even so unto them.” 
Such, in brief, and by inspired definition, is “ scriptural 
holiness.” 

But there is deep-seated and pervading depravity in 
the hearts of men. And hence there is death—moral 
and spiritual death. Outward crime calls aloud to 
heaven for vengeance. Because of sin, and for no other 
cause whatever, man rises up against his fellow man, 
and blood follows the red right hand of mad ambition 
and revenge. The grand want of the world is purifi¬ 
cation—the scriptural holiness ” which we have 
defined. Why goes it out so feebly, so slowly, so 
superficially, and over so small an extent from us? 
Alas! it is because in us it is so limited, so mixed 
with natural defilement, with natural affections, and 
worldly fears and influences. This is all. No man 
can—no man need, add another reason. In its sin- 
consuming power, it does not glow and throb within 
us; it does not blaze out upon surrounding iniquity. 


188 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


We want, instrumentally, to purify our families, our 
brothers, our neighbors, our fellow citizens, the 
“strangers that are within our gates,” the teeming 
nations of earth. This is our mission. We are meant 
for the world’s “ leaven,” and ought, long ere this, to 
have permeated the moral mass; but we make them no 
better than ourselves; nay, by no means so good, for, 
ever and anon, they deny what of piety we really have, 
upon the ground of our marked defects—our likeness 
to themselves. 

How much reason have we to pray: “ Cleanse the 
thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of thy Holy 
Spirit, that we may perfectly love thee, and worthily 
magnify thy holy name,”—“Cleanse thou me from 
secret faults ! ” Then with what calm and energizing 
confidence could we go out on a mission of cleansing! 
Would we but first “cleanseourselves from all filthiness 
of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of 
God,” then, with what renovating, saving power should 
we move into the world! We should work, then, in 
healing the world’s maladies, not merely under a divine 
commission, but with the force of a living example, and 
the full attendant energies of the Holy Ghost. For 
this, holiness is not merely desirable, but indispensable. 

But we go, moreover, on a mission of love; of love 
that pities while it condemns ;—love that yearns for the 
well-being of every individual of this vast and sinning 
race;—love that will not rest to enjoy alone its holy 
delights, but must diffuse them everywhere;—love that 
will not permit us to sit idly down in inglorious repose, 
and see the world enduring the miseries and perils of a 
sinful life—see immortal natures degraded in “ worship- 


IN ITS CLAIMS. 


189 


ping the creature more than the Creator”—adoring 
self, and Mammon, and “ the abominations ” of the 
heathen—see generation after generation rising up to 
weep, and laugh, and curse, and die, moving oft* to the 
horrors of despair;—that will not—cannot see all this, 
without an effort, a struggle, an agony of prayer for the 
salvation of the world ;—love that melts at the name of 
Jesus, and would declare it to the world—that fires at 
the visions of heaven, and would move the world to 
come up to its sublime and eternal joys. 

But alas ! our love is so cold! When shall we “ love 
our neighbors as ourselves ? ” when shall we so love 
them as to be restless unless we are doing something to 
impart to them holiness instead of sin, happiness for 
misery, Christ for idols, Christian civilization for barbar¬ 
ism, life for death, heaven for hell ? When shall we 
fully perform our mission of love ? Not until we “ love 
the Lord our God with all the heart, and with all the 
soul, and with all the mind, and with all the strength, 
and our neighbors as ourselves.” 

The mission of the church is, finally, a mission of 
power; not, indeed, of civil, or political, or physical 
power, but of moral power;—of power to teach the 
doctrines of revelation authoritatively, to reveal the 
infinite wrong of sin, the eternal right of holiness, and 
the tremendous awards of eternity; power to call the 
world to a pause in its mad career, and sound the trump 
of judgment in the ears of crime; power to proclaim 
the terms of reconciliation and utter the note of jubilee 
to the nations; power to preach the conditions of salva¬ 
tion, and enforce them. But what power is this ? Ah! 
it is the power of an indwelling Deity; it is the power 


190 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


of the right, clearly exhibited, and felt, and so expressed 
as to make others feel. It is the power resident in the 
holy “ gospel of Christ ”—" the power of God unto sal¬ 
vation to every one that believeth, to the Jew first and 
also to the Gentile.” 

But the amount of this power is the aggregate holi¬ 
ness—the experimental, practical religion of the church. 
She has gone so far and achieved so much, because she 
had so much of the power of “ righteousness and true 
holiness.” She has gone no further and done no more, 
because she has had no more. With a little more of 
the moral force of true goodness, she might have moved 
many of her number forward to full salvation who 
have remained “babes in Christ,” "carried about by 
every wind of doctrine.” With a little more of this 
inward power, she might have pressed w r armly to her 
bosom many of her own baptized children, who have 
been overborne and carried away by the flood of world¬ 
liness and temptation. With a little more of the 
authority which belongs to the right, she might have 
commanded the love, and admiration and obedience of 
the world, wdiere now she is left sad and solitary in 
her robes of widowhood and mourning. She has 
wanted power to call out and direct her own sympa¬ 
thies ; power to command her own resources; power to 
send her men to the lands of suffering and death; 
power to arrest and awe the proud monarchs of crime, 
and secure their allegiance to the King of kings and 
Lord of lords; power to drive home the arrows of con¬ 
viction which have sped from her bow; power to batter 
down the gates of hell, and move through the world a 
conqueror, as her sovereign right; power to infuse her- 


IN ITS CLAIMS. 


191 


self as an invisible, celestial animus into the civil and 
social systems of the world, and guide them in a career 
of greatness and blessing which is denied them because 
of their fearful impurities. But holiness would have 
given her this very power. By “ perfecting holiness in 
the fear of the Lord,” she would have been prepared 
and energized for this mission of power; and in no 
other way will she ever accomplish it. 

Let us speak to you, dear brethren, with yet closer 
and more personal familiarity. Do you not feel that 
these things are so? Can you question them for a 
moment ? Do you not humbly confess that you have 
yet the weakness of remaining sin in your heart ? Does 
it not enfeeble your faith, cool your zeal, give formality 
to your prayers, restrict your benevolence, and, indeed, 
well-nigh paralyze all your Christian energies ? Alas! 
that it should be so. It need not be so. “ If we walk 
in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship one 
with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, 
cleanseth us from all sin.” The provision is made, and 
is ample. But let this imperative necessity come home 
to your hearts. Depend upon it, there is work for you 
to do which will never be done without holiness. You 
must have a spirit of sacrifice, of benevolence, of labor— 
hard, delving labor—which this alone will give you. 

Let us say, with the utmost distinctness, there is 
preaching demanded which will never be done without 
holiness—preaching which, for clearness and point, for 
the depth and range of its sympathies, and the sacrifice 
and devotion of its missionary spirit, must exceed almost 
immeasurably the preaching which comes from the 
purest present piety of the church; preaching “ in the 


192 


THE CENTRAL IDEA. 


demonstration of tlie Spirit, and with power.” There 
must be praying, there must be believing, there must be 
burden-bearing, there must be battling with sin, there 
must be a rushing out into the provinces of death which 
will be impossible without the special baptism, and a 
divinely sustained, elevated holiness in the church. In a 
word, it is necessary that the church should be cleansed 
to accomplish her mission of light, and purification, and 
love, and power to the world. 

We have aimed to produce conviction in the minds 
of believers, and sought to present, clearly, warmly, and 
urgently, the three great facts: that it is desirable to be 
cleansed from all sin, it is possible, it is necessary. Is 
it really so ? Have you a doubt ? Which of these 
propositions would you reject ? Read them over. Pon¬ 
der them seriously, with your eye upon the judgment. 
There is then no resisting it. This is no work of mere 
convenience—no question of mere expediency. It is 
desirable, it is possible, it is necessary to be cleansed 
from all sin. What, then, will you do ? With these 
convictions, you surely will not throw the question 
aside, or treat it lightly. Henceforth the subject of 
holiness will be to you matter of the gravest thought, 
and the most earnest examination. It will drive you to 
prayer, to the Bible, to the cross, to the blood that 
cleanseth. May it soon appear that you have given 
thorough practical heed to the claims which rise up so 
legitimately out of the central idea of Christianity. 


CHAPTER Y. 

THE CENTRAL IDEA IN ITS COUNSELS. 

SEC. I. THE CONVICTION PRODUCED. 

The conclusions readied are such as must command 
attention. Holiness is not an outside or accidental 
appendage of Christianity. It is the very centre of it— 
the grand element of its power—the essential fact of its 
value; and yet, it is generally neglected, so that a large 
proportion of converted men are sanctified but in part, 
and the church comes very far short of accomplishing 
her mission. It is time for us to ask “ what shall we 
do ? ” May we not assume that the reader has already 
determined that it is desirable to be holy—it is possible 
to be holy—it is necessary to be holy? The most anx¬ 
ious desire must then be to understand the way; and 
there is certainly no need of mistake. The central idea 
■which has produced revelation has filled it with counsels 
which “ he that runs may read,” and which followed in 
the spirit of humble confidence, will surely lead us to 
the full realization of this glorious state. 

But let us not be superficial. Whatever is valuable 
in religion must be grounded in conviction. The recep¬ 
tive intellect must take in the subject. If it disappear, 
memory must recall it, and attention detain it, for the 
17 


194 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


most careful examination. The reason must determine its 
truth, its importance and its claims. The heart must yield 
to its deep impressions, and the resolves of the soul must 
harmonize with the understanding. 

Conviction is a law term. It implies that the accused 
has been arrested, tried, and condemned—brought in 
guilty of the crime alleged against him in the indictment. 

But in theology, this term has a special sense. It is 
the work of the Holy Spirit, imparting to the soul posi¬ 
tive evidence of its guilt, its depravity, and its exposures. 
“ And when he is come he will reprove the w~orld of 
sin, of righteousness, and of judgment.” So perverted 
is the natural conscience, that it cannot be relied upon, 
for accurate moral discriminations, for safe and decisive 
moral impulsions, or just and remedial retributions. 
Man left to himself, accumulates guilt, with no true 
estimate of its enormity, becomes harder and darker as 
crime increases, and “ treasures up to himself wrath 
against the day of wrath, and revelation of the righteous 
judgment of God.” The light of reason, or of philos¬ 
ophy shines too feebly to penetrate the gloom of his 
depravity. 

But the spirit of God has the intelligence required 
for the revelation of the facts. His omniscient eye 
scans the minutest particulars of our history, and gazes 
into the profoundest depths of the soul. He can, therefore, 
certainly reveal to us the wrongs and the dangers which 
we have failed to see. Besides, it is not enough to know 
how our outward or inward sins appear to us. Our 
own view must in any event be superficial and entirely 
insufficient for the purposes of reform. We must know 
God’s estimate of these wrongs; at least, so far as he 


IN ITS COUNSELS. 


195 


has made us capable of receiving divine communications, 
and is pleased to make them. To us, his decisions are 
of paramount importance, and nothing but these may be 
relied upon with safety. We may, therefore, be humbly 
grateful that full provision has been made for this neces¬ 
sity. “ When he, the spirit of truth, is come, he will 
guide you into all truth.” This very general and posi¬ 
tive declaration is not made for any one class of men, 
nor intended to refer to any one fact of the moral state 
or relations. It presents us with the Holy Ghost as the 
great truth-telling agent to the souls of men. He, and 
he alone, knows the truth which men have occasion to 
ascertain. Just as no “ man knoweth the things of a 
man save the spirit of man which is in him, even so the 
things of God knoweth no man, but the spirit of God.” 

In a very important sense, the awakened sinner must 
therefore have “ the witness of the Spirit ” to the fact 
of his guilt, or the divine attestation to the light in 
which his sins are viewed, by the Being against whom 
they have been committed. 

It is necessary in this discussion to distinguish between 
the conviction of an unpardoned sinner, and the convic¬ 
tion which must be felt by the inquirer after holiness. 
In the former instance, the soul is pained and oppressed 
with a sense of guilt. It is not merely the general 
knowledge of the fact that he is a sinner that distresses 
him. Of this he has always been aware. But now, 
from an agency out of himself, and to him invisible, he 
is deeply impressed with “ the exceeding sinfulness of 
sin ”—especially of his sins. The memory of his crimes 
against God is strangely quickened, and the examination 
is surprisingly minute and searching. He feels that he 


196 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


is justly arraigned before the Sovereign lie has offended, 
and all efforts at self-justification are utterly vain. So 
many hidden crimes are brought to light;—so over¬ 
whelming is his feeling of remorse, that he cries out in 
anguish, I am lost—I am sinking to perdition. “ O, 
wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the 
body of this death ? ” There is no relief from earth 
or heaven but in pardon. And the same spirit that leads 
the sinner into the truth of his guilt, must lead him into 
the further truth of his justification; for this is one of 
the “ things of God 55 which no one know'eth but the 
Spirit of God. 

We are thus particular in stating the phenomena of 
conviction in the case of the unpardoned, not only that 
the conviction due for “ sin in believers,’ 5 , may be placed 
in its own distinct light, but that we may aid inquiring 
minds in avoiding a dangerous error in the character of 
experience. It must be of the highest importance for 
the reader to inquire whether there is guilt in his soul 
—whether he has been pardoned for the past, or has 
retained upon his conscience the crimes of a lifetime; 
or, having “known the way of righteousness, he has 
turned from the holy commandment delivered unto him,” 
and so lives before God with the crime of apostasy una¬ 
toned and unforgiven. That the truth may be known, 
the Holy Ghost asking for entrance must be admitted. 
His divine illumination must reach the utmost extremi¬ 
ties of the soul, and from the depths of his being this 
guilty one must repent of the wrongs he has committed. 
To him the question of pardon is first. His soul must 
be relieved of its guilt, and, alive from the dead, it must 
be brought into fellowship with the Father, and with his 


IN ITS COUNSELS. 


197 


Son Jesus Christ, before he will be in a condition to 
receive the profound convictions, and enter upon the 
holier work of seeking entire sanctification. Unpar¬ 
doned guilt will obstruct the light, and bar the power 
which this completed work implies; and we cannot fail 
to urge upon all who would become “ pure in heart,” 
that they must first be justified by faith—must be born 
again. Many doubtless have sought, and sought in vain, 
for “ the fulness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ,” 
wondering why they did not receive it, when the grand 
obstruction has been in some indulged offence which has 
brought unpardoned guilt upon their souls. And many 
others have been seeking for higher attainments— 
received a great blessing, and supposed it to he entire 
sanctification ; when in fact they were only reclaimed 
from apostasy, or newly born from above. Hence, early 
doubts arising from the recognition of inward depravity, 
from which they had believed themselves entirely saved. 
Hence, also, premature professions and inconsistent liv¬ 
ing, which bring the work of holiness into discredit 
before the church and the world. Let us urge upon all 
to mark carefully the nature of their convictions. Do 
they refer to offences voluntarily committed ? Are they 
the evidence of allowed “ unrighteousness,” or of “ know¬ 
ing to do good, and doing it not ? ” or of “ a transgression 
of the law ? ” If so, let the deepest repentance and the 
clearest justifying faith become the first concern of the 
soul. And when “ the Spirit itself beareth witness with 
our spirit, that we are the children of God,” then let us 
invite and give heed to the convictions which are neces¬ 
sary to the completion of the work of purification so 
auspiciously begun. 

17* 


198 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


It is important, however, to observe that it is not for 
the justification of delay, but to prevent serious mistake, 
that we make this discrimination. We have already 
shown that no specified length of time can be required 
for the transition from the one state to the other. This 
must depend upon the clearness with which the subject 
is grasped and understood—upon the character and 
% power of the faith exercised, and, we believe, to some 
extent, upon the previous experience of the individual; 
for, doubtless, one who has once believed to the justifi¬ 
cation or entire sanctification of the soul, better under¬ 
stands the process of faith than before he had such 
experience. However difficult it may be for such an 
one to yield, to determine, and to trust, he knows the 
way, and "when the crisis is reached, may, by an act of 
faith, make a prompter and even more comprehensive 
claim upon the atoning blood, than would have been 
otherwise probable. We grant indeed, here, and else¬ 
where, that the transition from guilt to forgiveness, and 
from impurity to holiness, may, in rare instances of dis¬ 
criminating and appropriating faith, be so rapid as to be 
unnoticed by consciousness; and that, hence, some really 
do suddenly pass from a state of guilt into the full 
enjoyment of perfect purity- But the order of events 
is not the less real because unnoticed. It is well known 
that succession is often so rapid as to be unnoticeable at 
the time, and yet a critical analysis of the same subject, 
under circumstances more favorable for observation, will 
reveal the fact of succession. So we find it to be in the 
case under consideration. The seeming exceptions, 
have, therefore, no tendency to destroy the distinctive 
character of the great work of entire sanctification; and 


IN ITS COUNSELS. 


199 


yet they allow us to give all confidence to the candid 
testimony of those who have found themselves from the 
time of conversion in possession of “a clean heart,” and 
of those Avho, after having received the blessing, have 
relapsed into their former state, and, in the absence of a 
clear justifying faith at first, have sought and obtained 
the renewed evidence of perfect love; only requiring 
in these, as in all other cases, that they “ have their fruit 
unto holiness.” 

But there is a conviction for inward impurity—for 
“ sin in believers,” which is eminently the work of the 
Holy Spirit. Depravity of the heart, however sub¬ 
dued, cannot remain long concealed. Its first motions, 
as we have seen, are felt with surprise by the truly 
regenerated. They produce more or less of pain and 
exposure, but if promptly resisted, they do not bring a 
feeling of guilt upon the spirit trusting in Christ. Fur¬ 
ther experience, however, shows that the life of the 
Christian is to be almost a continual battle, not merely 
with outward foes, but with himself. The recognition 
of these inward wrongs will depend not only upon what 
they are, but upon the habit of attention to the state of 
the soul, and the degree of divine influence secured by 
the cooperation of the human agent. The truly devout 
man will, however, frequently find his attention silently 
but powerfully drawn to these inward impurities. Some¬ 
times when, so far as his consciousness reports, no train 
of reflection has led to it;—in the midst of passing 
engagements, and of other thoughts, the conviction will 
flash upon him suddenly, and he will feel like hiding him¬ 
self from the sight of men, burying his face in the dust, 
and crying out for deliverance. At other times this 


200 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


sense of wrong tendencies assumes an amazing distinct 
ness in the midst of spiritual exercises, and even of 
powerful outpourings of the Holy Spirit. This cannot 
be due to unprompted reason. Left merely to ourselves, 
we should sensibly or insensibly yield to the rising evil, 
and allow the conquest of the heart by its own subjugated 
foes. Whatever influence we may attribute to the asso¬ 
ciations of the hour, and to the habits of the life, they 
are not sufficient to account for the searching light that 
breaks in upon the soul, and the power which humbles 
it to the dust. The great reprover “ of sin, of right¬ 
eousness, and of judgment,” is there in the faithfulness 
and authority of a God, performing the work for which 
he has appeared among men. 

These convictions, let it be expressly stated, differ 
Lorn those felt by the unpardoned sinner. They are 
convictions of inward depravity, and not of guilt; they 
are connected with felt aversion to the impurity recog¬ 
nized, and a conscious dependence upon the Savior’s 
merits for gracious acceptance; they produce pain, but 
not condemnation ; they are not unfrequently strongest 
in the midst of fervent spirit-pleadings for gracious 
influence, and increase with the advance of the soul in 
its longings after God, and in the elements of a higher 
Christian life. 

We are aware that the evidence of these positions is 
chiefly that of experience; but we claim that it is per¬ 
fectly decisive. We have never yet conversed with a 
Christian man or woman, whose experience did not con¬ 
firm every position here taken. And so perfectly do 
these positions accord with the special revelations of the 
Bible, repeatedly quoted in this volume, and with the 


IN ITS COUNSELS. 


201 


h amble lamentations of good men recorded in tbe Scrip¬ 
tures, that we regard them as settled facts which no man 
can safely deny. 

But it may be asked, if these convictions are the 
work of the Holy Spirit, how are they dependent upon 
us, and what counsels in relation to them are suggested 
by the central idea of Christianity ? To this it must be 
answered, God has arranged that in this, as in all other 
instances, the essential freedom of man shall be recog¬ 
nized. The Holy Spirit enlightens, arouses and guides 
the soul directly, hut the power and effects of these 
divine influences, will depend upon the voluntary con¬ 
dition and bearing of the mind addressed. 

1. Would you avail yourself of divine teachings? 
You must entertain the subject, and candidly seek to 
know the truth. Your views of theology, and your 
habits of mind may have been entirely opposed to the 
special consideration of holiness. The very name has 
produced in your mind a strange aversion, and such has 
been your dread of the responsibilities involved in efforts 
to be saved from all sin, that you have shrunk from them, 
and repelled the convictions which you have felt. Thus 
God’s Spirit has been grieved, and you have lost the 
benefits of those gracious influences which he proposed 
to vouchsafe to your necessities. Alas! my brother, you 
have deeply wronged your own soul. You now see that 
the words you have rejected are the very “ words which 
the Holy Ghost teacheth.” Is it not to be regretted that 
the blindness of your education, or of your own 
indulged habits of mind, has led you to reject the cho¬ 
sen language of inspiration, for the inculcation of the 
richest truths of the gospel scheme, while these sacred 


202 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


words—“ pure in heart ,”—■“ be ye holy,”—“ sanctity 
you wholly,”—“ be ye therefore perfect ,”—“ perfect 
love casteth out fear,”—with innumerable others, have 
been laden with blessings for you ? What untold privi¬ 
leges have you thus unconsciously rejected. Nay, but 
a better understanding, and a truer, profounder humil¬ 
ity, would have led you to say, these are God’s own 
words. They are better than mine, I will receive and 
study them with filial docility. I will search for their 
utmost scope and power, and the higher and holier the 
privilege they reveal for me—for the church of God, 
the more delighted and humbly thankful I shall be. 
You will come to this at last. This determined prefer¬ 
ence of human to divine wisdom, has long enough rob¬ 
bed you of your richest privileges. It is full of wrong 
and danger. It has sent myriads to hell, and but for 
the amazing goodness of the being you have slighted— 
of the Savior, whose power you have limited, and of 
the Holy Ghost, whose proffered purifying work you 
have feared to allow, it had long since ruined you. Turn 
then, we beseech you, your thoughts and studies in the 
direction of holiness, and fear not the rich, the enno¬ 
bling grace of full salvation now again proffered to you. 
Again, we beseech you, examine your heart with the 
profoundest sincerity. Nay, shrink not from the revela¬ 
tions unfolded to your view. Submit to know the 
worst. Whatever the pain—whatever the loathing pro¬ 
duced by the discovery of the facts, still invite this dis¬ 
covery. Secure it by every means in your power. We 
entreat you to think—to read the holy Bible—to read 
the books which speak clearly upon this great theme— 
to study the whole system of redemption, in the light 


IN ITS COUNSELS. 


203 


of that holiness which we have found at its centre, and 
we are well assured that there will then be no want of 
conviction. You will know—you will feel in every 
part of your being, that you are deeply depraved — 
that you cannot remain so—that you must he holy, or 
wrong your own soul, and wrong your Savior whose 
blood is freely offered to cleanse you from all sin. 

2. But most emphatically and earnestly do we entreat 
you, “ grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye 
are sealed unto the day of redemption.” Pray—O pray 
that he will deign to come to your aid. Invite him as 
your friend—your welcome guest. Beseech him to 
increase the light which reveals the defects of your 
Christian state, and to uncover to your view the most 
secret wrongs within you. Invite even the anguish, if 
need he, of the most humiliating self-exposures, and 
shrink not from the rod of correction, which shall drive 
you to the bosom of your only protector. Need you 
again be reminded, how far beneath your privilege 
you have lived—how numerous have been the evidences 
of your internal depravity—how frequent have been 
your failures to honor God, and advance the interests of 
his cause ? Prayer—humble, believing, mighty prayer 
—prayer from your heart—prayer as you walk the streets 
—prayer with your brethren, and especially prayer in 
the closet — long-continued, inquiring, struggling 
prayer, will help you to know yourself better — will 
bring the special grace of God to your aid. Let nothing 
discourage you. In darkness, in coldness, in hardness, 
if it must be, pray until the subduing melting grace 
shall be given. 

3. Your conviction, to be available, must not be 


204 : 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


superficial—must not be tbe merely ordinary impres¬ 
sion, with occasional increase, that you are not what you 
ought to be. It must be profound, penetrating, and 
abiding, or you will never make it the starting-point of 
successful effort to obtain purity of heart and life. 

One thing you surely feel ; that your efforts at reform 
have been heretofore quite too superficial. You have 
again and again marvelled at your failures. One partic¬ 
ular and another, known, perhaps, only to yourself and 
to God, you have determined to change. One reform 
after „ another you have resolved, in the strength of 
grace, to make—have thought they really were made, 
but have been amazed almost directly, to detect the same 
things returning, and find to your grief that you were 
the same man as before. Your mistake is an obvious 
one. You have been trying to purify the streams, but 
have neglected the fountain. The grand source of 
impure thoughts, and words, and actions, has remained 
within you unremedied, and thus you have struggled 
on. Your religion has been a religion of victories over 
“ the flesh,” as well as the world, and the devil. Are 
you convinced at last that this is all unnecessary—that 
the fountain may be cleansed, and the streams become 
pure ? Are you convicted by the Holy Spirit, by the 
word of God, by your own enlightened conscience, that 
entire salvation is not only your high privilege, but 
your indispensable duty ? Then with humble confidence 
advance. You have only to act upon these convictions, 
and the most gracious results will follow. 


IN ITS COUNSELS. 


205 


SEC. II. THE RESOLUTION FORMED. 

You have often resolved to live a better life. Your 
failures have grieved and alarmed you. You have said 
it is strange that I should know the way so well ; see in 
it so much of beauty and righteousness, and yet not 
walk in it steadily and rapidly. I will begin anew. I 
will reconsecrate myself to God, and henceforth my 
walk and conversation shall show that I am a true 
Christian. Then, it is likely you have poured out your 
soul in prayer. God has been pleased with the sincerity 
with which you have entertained the thoughts and 
purposes of duty he himself has suggested. He has 
seen the true spirit of loyalty to him, and faith in his 
Son, in which you have bowed and asked his blessing, 
and he has granted it. With humble gratitude you 
remember the many instances in which you have been 
melted down before the Lord, and baptized with his 
love. 

The great fact, however, has perplexed and distressed 
you, that these improvements were quite too temporary. 
Why, you have been ready to ask, is there no more 
strength in my resolutions ? Why must my evils of 
heart, and the necessity for repentance and conquests 
over myself, return upon me so frequently ? 

It is presumed, that, after all your experience, your 
self-examination, your prayers, your reading in the Bible 
and other excellent books, you have at last no doubt as 
to the true explanation of these failures; that you are 

now fully convinced that the evil is within you, and that 
18 


£0G 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


a profound conviction from the Holy Spirit of inward 
impurity, of the necessity of holiness, has taken possession 
of your soul. What now will you do ? 

Nothing is of moral force which has not the sanction 
of the will. Your own free spirit must act. Your 
purpose must be fixed under a high sense of right, and 
a longing desire to be pure in heart. Why should you 
delay ? Is not the evidence conclusive ? Have not all 
your delays been injurious to you? Have you not 
deprived yourself of much pure enjoyment, the church 
of much efficient labor, by putting off, from time to time, 
the work of entire dedication to the service of God? 
In many particulars, have you not failed to glorify him 
as you would have done, with a heart glowing with per¬ 
fect love ? How long shall this halting continue ? In 
tjie name of Christ, we beseech you to end it. 

Ho you ask what shall be the character of the 
resolve now to be made? We answer not merely a 
resolution to reform, though it is inclusive of this. To 
resolve to live near to God, to be more thoughtful, more 
devout, more guarded in spirit, in word, and in action, 
is a high duty, and you will never in this life, be beyond 
it. To resolve upon a reconsecration of yourself to 
God, and to seek a deeper work of grace will be all 
well, and what you have done, and will have occasion to 
do times without number; but your experience shows 
that this does not reach the case. Some profounder 
remedy is demanded than any you have thus found. 

But, do you say, I am resolved to be henceforth 
entirely a Christian ? I have long enough endured the 
evil of a divided life. I have tried to meet the claims 
of God, and yet I have failed to separate myself wholly 


IN ITS COUNSELS. 


207 


from worldly influences. I see the wrong, I feel it 
more deeply than words can express. To be wholly the 
Lord’s—to be a Christian in every thing—to be prepared 
to glorify God at all times in life or in death, seems now 
the most desirable of all privileges on earth. I am 
determined that this shall be my future course. For 
such a noble purpose we humbly join with you to thank 
Almighty God, who has given you grace to form it. 
But we have one thing more to suggest. Let your 
resolution relate to your inner being—to the very source 
of your thoughts, your affections, your life. Nay, 
resolve directly and explicitly that you will seek for 
holiness of heart; that nothing but this shall satisfy 
you. Several things are essential to this resolution. 

1. It must be grounded hi conviction. Of this we have 
written at length. We trust you have felt its truth— 
that it has aided you in inviting the gracious influence 
of the Holy Spirit, by which this conviction has been 
produced. Without it your resolution will be feeble 
and temporary—little more indeed, than a mere impulse. 
Many excellent resolves have been formed under the 
influence of temporary excitement, or the special plead¬ 
ings of a friend, or even the force of arguments which 
you did not know how to resist, and hence felt forced 
to yield your assent, against some of your strongest 
inclinations. These resolutions were right in themselves, 
and in some degree influential over your subsequent 
lives, and yet they fell short of their object. They had 
not the strength, the power, the reliable durability which 
your condition and wants demanded. But thorough 
conviction of inward depravity and of the need of entire 
sanctification, wrought by the power of the Holy Ghost, 


208 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


will remedy this defect. Let there be no failure now. 
Have you a doubt that your inward impurities have 
been the sources of your trouble? Has God fully 
shown you these secret wrongs, so that you now know 
what must be done to render your life a holy life—a life 
of perfect love ? Has that conviction gone through and 
through you, so that you have no doubt as to the com¬ 
plete remedy—the full salvation you need, and are 
entitled to receive through the merits of Christ ? Has 
the conviction become more than a matter of feeling 
with you ? Has it become a fact, a deep-seated pervading 
fact of your being, so that you do not find it trembling, 
hesitating, and yielding after a few hours of trial ? Is 
it present yet ? Does every effort of prayer, and exami¬ 
nation, and faith strengthen it ? Then you have reliable 
ground for the resolution to seek for holiness until you 
obtain it. Your convictions will make such a resolution 
as is now due, possible—will give it soundness and force, 
—will move on with it to sustain it and increase its power. 

2. But carefully observe that this resolution is not 
made in your own strength. Poor human nature has 
no strength for such a purpose. How often have your 
most solemn vows failed, for no other reason than some 
secret reliance upon your own power. But, now let 
this error also be remedied. You have no strength of 
your own. You see this more clearly than before. 
You are nothing; God is all. The Holy Spirit can 
sustain you in the purpose to seek for a pure heart, until 
you obtain it. Think now in earnest sincerity;—are 
you satisfied that divine power alone can support you ? 
Do you feel that you may trust that power without the 
least reserve ? Fix your whole soul upon the Almighty 


IN ITS COUNSELS. 


209 


Spirit, until you see and feel that he is given for you; that 
he has come to accomplish the work of cleansing for you; 
that in the unlimited power of God he is with you, 
to be might in your weakness, and to uphold you in this 
struggle. Now, make the resolution. With every 
energy, of intellect and heart, confiding in the strength 
of the Holy Ghost, venture to say, I will seek for holi¬ 
ness until I obtain it. Why should you fear? This 
resolution is in harmony with God’s will—with the 
teaching of the Bible—with the whole plan of redemp¬ 
tion. It is just the point to which you have been urged 
for many months, and probably years. God invites you, 
he urges you, he pleads with you. Surely you will not 
refuse. Then is the resolution formed ? 

3. There must be no mental reservation. Did you 
think, as you were settling the question, I will make an 
effort—I will see whether it is for me—I will try the 
theory by an experiment ? Alas! then you have been 
deceived by your enemy. Do you not see how marked 
is the evidence of unbelief in all this ? Is it, then, only 
a resolution to ascertain whether God is true or false ? 
Do you propose to debate the promises of the gospel, 
and to proceed only upon conditions that you shall find 
them reliable ? No. This would be a fearful responsi¬ 
bility. We trust you are fully apprized of its wrong, 
and its danger. This alone would account for the fail¬ 
ure of your effort. The resolution, to be successful, must 
be based upon the absolute unchangeable veracity of 
God—upon the unquestioned integrity of the promises, 
upon the positive certainty that the blood of Jesus can 
cleanse from all sin, and that it can, and will cleanse you, 
so soon as you take the right position in regard to it. 

18 * 


210 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


4. Another caution suffer us ( to suggest. An attempt 
to prescribe your own states of mind before and after 
this work is wrought, and the manner in which it is to 
be effected, will mislead you. Should you say, as you 
make the resolve, I must advance in a particular man¬ 
ner, or continue a long time in this effort to seek for 
holiness, you would be liable to disappointment and dis¬ 
couragement at every step. The methods of divine 
grace upon the souls of men are various. Characters 
differ;—some feel more deeply, some think more pro¬ 
foundly ; some have dulness and some liveliness of soul. 
“ There are diversities of operations, but the same spirit.” 
The manner in which you will be affected is not, there¬ 
fore, a question submitted to yourself; you may have 
some power over it, but you ought to have as little as 
possible; at least, include nothing of this in your reso¬ 
lution ; leave it all with God. The resolution must be 
absolutely without condition ;—simply and purely a res¬ 
olution, made in the strength of grace to seek for per¬ 
fect love, in the use of all the means God has appointed, 
according to your best ability, until you gain the bless¬ 
ing. To say beforehand it cannot be done now ;—I must 
agonize and pray for days, or weeks;—at least there must 
be some delay in the matter; is to limit God,—is to assume 
to judge beyond your light; nay, in opposition to your 
light; for all this deferring and selection of times, is surely 
against the word of God. True, there may be a delay, 
but the reason will be in you, not in God. All we mean 
here, is, that the time, whether longer or shorter, is to 
make no difference with your resolution. It is a resolve 
to seek until you obtain, and especially to seek now. 
Is this your resolution ? 


IN ITS COUNSELS. 


211 


5. Finally, the resolution must be made with a full 
purpose to accept all the requirements of God’s word. 
Some of them may be crossing to your nature; some 
may be difficult for you, with your habits of life, to meet. 
You may feel the shrinkings of the flesh, while the 
spirit is willing, and yet every cross must be borne, 
every trial endured, every apparent danger braved. The 
thing you have undertaken is, to obtain a clean heart, to 
be in soul, body, and spirit, wholly the Lord’s. This 
rises in dignity and importance above every thing else, 
and must be preferred to every thing else. Every sac¬ 
rifice required for the fulfilment of the revealed condi¬ 
tion must be considered a privilege for the sake of the 
object, for the honor of Christ, for the glory of God. 
But be not alarmed; as w T e proceed to develop the work 
before you, you will be delighted to see how right, how 
perfectly in accordance with your sense of duty every 
particular of it is. You will feel an agreeable surprise 
at the perfect simplicity of the way; and as you proceed 
to take one step after another, you will see difficulties 
vanish, and the most dreaded crosses turn into the most 
grateful privileges. 

We trust w T e may now consider it settled that you 
have advanced with us through the second stage of this 
great experience ;—that you have formed the resolution, 
grounded in conviction;—formed it in the strength of 
God, with no mental reservations, and with simple pur¬ 
pose to accept all the requirements of God’s word,—to 
seek for perfect love until you obtain it. A noble tri¬ 
umph is this! May God help you to maintain it against 
the world, the flesh, and the devil. 


212 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


SEC. m. THE FEELING NECESSARY. 

A hard heart is unfriendly to the purpose you have 
determined, by the grace of God, to execute. Indeed, 
in the strictest sense, it is guilt, and is associated with 
impenitence and wrath. Hence, the language of inspi¬ 
ration to the wicked, “ Or despisest thou the riches of 
his goodness, and forbearance, and long suffering; not 
knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to 
repentance ? but after thy hardness and impenitent heart, 
treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of 
wrath, and revelation of the righteous* judgment of 
God.” Such guilty hardness we by no means attribute 
to you; and yet,- there is a state of the heart which does 
not harmonize with the determination to seek for entire 
sanctification. 

The intellect is not unfrequently in advance of the 
sensibilities in this great work. Strong arguments 
against sin, even all in-dwelling sin, are not wanting to 
the reflecting mind. They are suggested with more or 
less frequency and power, as the days and nights pass 
on. The reason of a converted man is perpetually sug¬ 
gesting to him that he ought to go further. Conscious¬ 
ness of inward corruption nearly simultaneous with the 
evidence of pardon, strikes him as a lamentable and 
unnecessary antagonism within him. His enlightened 
conscience brings his inconsistencies strongly to his view. 
The memory brings back unnumbered instances of 
unfaithfulness, growing out of remaining wrong tenden¬ 
cies of the soul, and sound judgment condemns the 


IN ITS COUNSELS. 


213 


state out of which they arise. The Holy Spirit pours 
divine light upon the facts and thg arguments, and urges 
on to the conclusion that there is need of a further 
cleansing. The conviction takes strong hold of the 
intellect, and hence the high resolution in its greatest 
propriety and strength may be formed to seek for holi¬ 
ness, while- the heart is not in precisely the state which 
promotes, and invites the realization of the object. Who 
does not know this ? How many times have you said, 
O, that I could feel as I ought to feel! If I were bro¬ 
ken down before the Lord, if my whole soul were melted 
in his presence, then I should be capable of higher 
spiritual exercises, I could receive more readily and per¬ 
manently the divine impress. 

It is necessary, however, to guard a point here. No 
certain standard of feeling can be fixed which all must 
reach, or never be filled with perfect love. Doubtless 
this is a question with which constitutional temperament 
has much to do. With some, feeling is excessive under 
powerful conviction, and needs rather to be checked 
than excited, in order to calm reflection and permanent 
consecration. Some who feel most deeply, make little 
outward demonstration of feeling, and might even sup¬ 
pose themselves to be wanting in conviction, when, 
really, their whole souls are roused, and unalterably 
fixed on the glorious prize, and they may be carried for¬ 
ward through the most vigorous efforts of faith with no 
bursting emotion. We should commit an error, there¬ 
fore, to compare ourselves with others, or to predeter¬ 
mine precisely what amount of feeling we must have, 
before we can.realize the great blessing. Indeed, we 
are free to admit that too much dependence may be 


S14 THE CENTRAL IDEA 

placed upon the mere matter of feeling—so much as to 
make room for a very ruinous temptation. Many, we 
doubt not, have even thought it a sufficient excuse for 
making no effort to obtain the blessing, that they had 
not so much feeling as others manifested, and their arch 
enemy has, perhaps, for years induced them to wait for 
the feeling they have judged to be necessary to make 
the effort successful. Let this snare he broken. The 
duty is a present and pressing one, and nothing should 
be plead as an apology for delaying the work which, 
under the divine blessing, depends upon your volitions. 

But there is a high sense in which the heart is invol¬ 
ved in this great work, and we think we may reach an 
exposition of this fact which will relieve a difficulty, 
and greatly aid those who, in judgment, are soundly con¬ 
vinced that without holiness, they cannot see the Lord. 

The idea that just as you are, in any state of feeling, 
under the convictions of the intellect, and the resolves 
of the will, you can meet the conditions of entire sanc¬ 
tification, is monstrous, and is repudiated by all sound 
teaching upon this subject. “ The sacrifices of God are 
a broken spirit: a broken and contrite heart, O God, 
thou wilt not despise.” Most sincere seekers of holi¬ 
ness feel that they can do little in the effort until they 
have true tenderness of heart. Their devotions, their 
attempts at the exercise of the faith that purifies, are 
too cold, too mechanical ; and they regret it, they mourn 
over it. They need a breaking up of soul, a soft and 
impressible state of the heart, fully prepared to receive 
the stamp of the divine image. They must be all alive 
to the work they propose to do, and the blessing they 
expect to receive. 


IN ITS COUNSELS. 


215 


It may be said, a devout Christian is always in a state 
of sensibility; —never cold, or dull, and doubtless there 
is a degree of tender susceptibility which is implied in 
the justified state; but that all feel as much and as 
deeply as they ought, and that the true Christian is at 
all times in a state of feeling that is most friendly to 
high religious efforts, is not according to fact. Indeed 
we lay it down as a matter of experience, that the heart 
has need of melting, subduing grace, before it can be 
capable of the exercises which must precede entire 
sanctification. So the sound and growing Christian 
feels, and, we believe, will generally affirm. 

It is, then, a question of grave importance, how is 
the right feeling to be acquired ? How may we obtain 
such tenderness of spirit, as will enable us to receive 
the stamp of God’s image ? 

1. Our strong and general answer is, prayer. We deem 
it legitimate for the seeker of holiness to ask God 
directly for “ a broken and a contrite heart.” He alone 
can grant the peculiar influences which subdue the 
soul, and melt it to humble contrition. “ He is more 
willing to give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him, 
than parents are to give good gifts to their children.” 
Yes, more willing, for while theirs is a finite, his is an 
infinite love, and with the yearnings of an infinite heart, 
he longs to give his children all that their wants require. 
The Holy Spirit melts the heart ; and it is this very gift 
that your heavenly Father is so willing to bestow upon 
you. But your will must accord with his. He will 
hold you to the conditions. “ Ask and ye shall receive.” 
You may rely upon it. His promise is “ yea and amen 
to him that believeth.” In the name of Jesus “ask 


216 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” You 
want this tenderness of soul; more than all the wealth 
of earth you desire the blessing of tears. Then ask 
for it humbly, believingly, perseveringly, in the name 
of Christ, and it shall be given you. Be assured that 
this gracious result is at the command of faith. How 
many hundred sinners have commenced to pray without 
conscious emotion, and been presently bathed in tears. 
How many, cold in religion, have been warmed and 
revived, in answer to prayer. How many in precisely 
your condition, with their intellects convinced, and their 
wills determined, but with a painful want of emotion, 
feeling that they would give the world for tears, have 
at length been all dissolved in answer to prayer. Then 
go to the fountain of melting tenderness and love, and 
plead with God, for Christ’s sake, to give you the state 
of heart you require, to be able at once to receive the 
image of God. 

2. In the midst of your praying, there is much that 
you can do, which will facilitate this result. Let mem¬ 
ory be active now. Call to mind your past unfaithful¬ 
ness,—your want of faith, of zeal and love. The view 
of these deficiencies will affect your heart. Remember 
your Savior’s dying love ;—how much he has suffered 
for you ; how graciously he pardoned you at the first; 
how amazingly he has sympathized with you in your 
infirmities, and in your sore temptations ; how many 
times he has delivered you out of the hand of your 
enemy, and how often and richly he has blessed you in 
spite of all your unworthiness, and you will be sure to 
feel. Look into the holy Bible; read the penitential 
psalms; read the weeping prophet; read the words of 


IN ITS COUNSELS. 


217 


the suffering Jesus ; mingle all with fervent breathings 
after the melting power of God’s Holy Spirit. You shall 
not complain of a want of tears. The fountain of the 
great deep will be broken up, and then what a view 
you will have of yourself. What discoveries of your 
inward pollution, of your entire unworthiness, of your 
helplessness before the Lord. How utterly will you 
then abhor your vanity and unholy ambition. How 
empty will the proffers of the world appear to you. 
You will feel yourself sinking lower and lower in your 
own eyes, until all self-consequence is utterly gone. 

O, how sweet this subduing, melting grace! How 
humbling, how profitable to our naturally proud and 
rebellious spirits! We must have it. No cold rea¬ 
sonings, no independent purpose, no resolution to 
believe, no forced exertions will suffice in the stead of 
it. And there are none who may not have it. May the 
prayers you are even now urging before the throne, be 
speedily answered in this gracious special gift. 


SEC. IV. THE CONFESSION REQUIRED. 

We must suggest that this conviction for holiness and 
resolution to obtain it, can in no case be made a secret. 
Not, that this or any other religious exercise is to be a 
matter for ostentatious publication. Certainly, far 
otherwise. To proclaim it merely that it may be known, 
would illy comport with that deep humility which you 
are bound to cultivate. We wonder not that you feel 
no disposition to attract attention, or make a vain show 
of your effort to obtain the highei; religious life. Your 

19 


218 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


felt unworthiness—the chastisements of your Heavenly 
Father—your bowing down of spirit before the Lord 
are all against it. In deepest self-abasement, were it 
possible, you would shrink from the sight of men, and 
bury yourself in the dust. This is all as it should be. 
You are now fast acquiring just views of your own 
nothingness. Self, that once adored idol, is sinking in 
your own eyes. Let it go down to the deepest self- 
abasement. God only knows how often and how peril¬ 
ously it has risen and strengthened itself into rivalry with 
your meek and holy Savior. Would that this might be 
the last of its unhallowed usurpations. 

And yet you must be consistent. God will not allow 
you to be one thing to your own consciousness, and 
another in the reasonable apprehensions of others. You 
may not inwardly reckon yourself a seeker of entire 
salvation, and outwardly appear to be content with the 
ordinary Christian state. You cannot ask God to look 
upon you as a determined seeker of holiness, and ask 
your brethren to look upon you as having no peculiar 
convictions, or purposes, or feelings in regard to this 
great question. No duplicity can be allowed here or 
elsewhere. Honestly, just what you are, you must be 
willing to be considered. Nay, so entirely averse 
should you be, to becoming a party to any filsc 
impressions, in regard to your views of yourself and 
your humble resolve to seek the blessing of holiness, 
that you will feel inwardly urged to inform your 
friends that you feel the need of a clean heart—that 
you are panting after God as the hart panteth after 
the water-brooks—that you have felt yourself arrested 
by a divine invisible power, and shut up to a life of 


IN ITS COUNSELS. 


219 


simple faith—of completed holiness, and perfect love; 
that you have heard the call of God ringing through 
your soul with the solemnity of the trump of judg¬ 
ment, and yet with the gladness of the notes of jubilee; 
and you have accepted the call, reluctantly indeed, 
and after, far too long delay, and yet, at last, freely, 
fully, and understandingly. Humbly ask your Chris¬ 
tian brethren to help you in the execution of your 
solemn covenant—to accompany you in the effort, and 
seek for themselves the blessed assurance that the blood 
of Jesus cleanseth from all sin. 

1. There is an involuntary expression of this impor¬ 
tant covenant. If it be genuine, it will be difficult to 
conceal it. The deepening solemnity of your spirit will 
appear in your countenance. Your restless breathings 
after God will be audible and intelligible to the church. 
Your groanings and strugglings to be set free may be 
too mighty to be suppressed, and your rising power of 
faith and prayer—your serene delight and holy rapture, 
as a growing, conquering, justified Christian, rapidly 
alternating, and even mingling with your efforts to seek 
for holiness, will be noticeable, without your intention, 
and even beyond your desire. These are speaking con¬ 
victions and triumphs, which can by no means be 
concealed. 

2. And yet, when the opportunity offers, there is 
distinctly something for the lips to utter. In the pres¬ 
ence of those who know whereof you affirm, whose prayers 
you seek, and whose counsels must aid you, fail not to 
own that you feel the need of cleansing—that you believe 
provision has been made by your adorable Savior to 
cleanse you, and that you have covenanted to give your- 


220 THE CENTRAL IDEA 

self up to this work, and seek in the scriptural way 
until you obtain the blessing. How could you, even 
practically, deny this without grieving the Holy- Spirit, 
and bringing upon your soul the guilt of falsehood ? 
What reason have you for concealing on earth the facts 
which make heaven ring with joy ? Surely, none. 

- But you will find some stubborn difficulties in your 
way. There are some unavoidable implications in the 
confessions you are called upon to make, that will be 
deeply humbling to the soul. You have probably been 
long known and recognized as a Christian—perhaps a 
faithful fervent Christian ; you may have been a leader in 
the armies of Israel—a minister in the church of God,— 
even an eminent minister among your brethren. In either 
case, it is not quite easy to confess that you have been 
all this time without a pure heart—that your religion 
has been a religion of contests with yourself, as well as 
the world and Satan, and that, though you have advo¬ 
cated for years a religion of purity, you have never yet 
fully availed yourself of the purifying provisions of the 
gospel. You dread to confess it, and yet is it not true ? 
Do not God, and angels, and men know it well ? and 
why should you seek to conceal it ? Confess, we beseech 
you, to your brethren near you, that they may be induced 
to do the same, and so together you will fulfil the 
holy Scripture, “ Confess your faults one to another that 
you may be healed. 55 Conceal nothing that candor or 
righteousness demands. Have you felt the risings of 
self, of anger, of pride, of an unholy ambition for 
distinction, for wealth, or power? in the the name 
of God acknowledge it. An honest, truth-telling spirit 
is of the greatest possible importance to you. We refer 


IN ITS COUNSELS. 


221 


not to minute details ;—these are not due except to indi¬ 
viduals whom you may have injured, and to whom you 
owe reparation; and this, it is presumed, you have not 
knowingly withheld, or you would have lost your justi¬ 
fication. Nor is it upon any principle of penance, or 
self-mortification, or with any view to priestly absolu¬ 
tion, that confession is required. The grand principle 
of this whole concession is truth; truth to the con¬ 
science ; truth to the facts of the present and the past; 
truth to the convictions of the. souT by the Holy Spirit; 
truth to the vows you have made, and to the demands 
of the church; all of which requires, and must have, 
candid expression; and you will be gratified, you will 
be thankful to God for the benefits it confers. 

3 . When you have distinctly and meekly avowed your 
convictions arid resolutions, you will be surprised at the 
relief it will bring to . your soul. It will be like the 
falling, off. of a burden. You will hear a silent 
whisper within you saying, this is right. I have long 
owed this clear acknowledgment to my brethren, to my 
own sense of propriety, and I thank God for enabling 
me to make it. You will feel humbled in the dust, as 
you conclude it, but you will feel a sweet sense of the 
divine approbation, and a blessing that no language can 
describe. 

4. Besides, there is much in being committed to what 
is right. This is a principle that extends through all 
the relations of man to God, and to his fellows. We 
are formed with a constitutional love of consistency. We 
do not wish to be known as failnless to our word. We 
shrink from violated integrity with instinctive dread. 
God avails himself of this important fact, in his holy 

19 * 


222 THE CENTRAL IDEA 

covenant, and in liis whole system of religious vows. 
Certainly no one will presume that a reckless, trifling 
method of making pledges of any kind, is authorized by 
Scripture, or suggested here. Indeed, it is no formal 
promise to others to which we refer. It is the firm and 
willing disclosure of solemn facts and pledges already 
made to God, that we urge, and the moral force of the 
principles of religious honor with which we sustain it. 
We know all this may he forgotten, and disregarded in 
the future, but we claim that commitment to the right 
is the law of God; and the moral power of the princi¬ 
ple involved, is of the highest practical moment in this 
important struggle. 

5. It will moreover secure a strong sympathy for you, 
and the most fervent prayers from those who love you. 
You will feel the power of this collateral support. It 
will sustain your resolution mightily, and the richness of 
the blessings called down in answer to united interces¬ 
sions, from faithful believing ones, will more than com¬ 
pensate you for the cross you have borne. 

True, there may be unbelievers in your presence. 
You will not seek to overtax their confidence in the 
words and manner of your confession. You will, of 
course, prefer to avoid it. But should any of the select 
circle usually present amid such solemnities as these, 
turn coolly and incredulously away,—should the spirit 
of resistance to the doctrine and experience of holiness 
be avowed,—should cavil and criticism follow, instead 
of united longings and prayers for a clean heart; and 
even cold neglect or stern opposition appear, you have 
nevertheless done right in avowing the truth, and you 
are gathering more and more the power of holy love 


IN ITS COUNSELS. 


222 


with which to conquer, not for yourself, but for your 
master. 

A little resistance will do you no harm. You may 
be all the more thorough and evangelical on the account 
of it. Your warfare is by no means ended, and is never 
to be ended on earth. Only the opposition of yourself 
is to cease. You seek, and with the highest warrant 
from God your Savior, to be wholly on the side of 
right, and this, it may not be concealed, will have no 
tendency to destroy the opposition from without. 

Regret not, therefore, the candid avowal, though it 
may have brought you into severe trials. It will prob¬ 
ably be your humble privilege to find, in another world, 
and even here, that confession has roused many slum¬ 
bering consciences, brought many beloved disciples into 
“ the fulness of the blessing of the gospel of peace,” 
and added many stars to the crown of your rejoicing. 
Will you make the confession ? 


SECTION V. THE CONSECRATION MADE. 

May we assume that the reader has felt the convic¬ 
tion, formed the resolution, received the melting divine 
influence, and made the confession, which we have’ven- 
tured to suggest? Another point of great practical 
importance must now be introduced. Consecration is 
literally “ the act, or ceremony of separating from a 
common to a sacred use.” We have already introduced 
it as a law of sanctification, and mentioned humility as 
its test. But it is here introduced as a thing to be done 
It is for you to make the consecration which your deter- 


224 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


mi n ation to seek for holiness requires. Your soul must 
be separated from all carnal, worldly use, and formally 
set apart as the exclusive property of God. Your pow¬ 
ers of intelligence, reason, imagination, feeling, will, 
must be solemnly dedicated to the service of Almighty 
God. Your affections are henceforth to belong only to 
him who made the power to love. Your body is to be 
given up as “ the temple of the Holy Ghost,” and never 
to be “ defiled.” Your talents, natural and acquired, 
are to be reckoned henceforth wholly his. Your prop¬ 
erty in part, and in whole, is to be held subject to the 
divine will. Your dearest loved ones must be no lon¬ 
ger yours, but God’s. Yourself, and your all, must be 
without reserve consecrated to the Lord for time and 
eternity ; for he is to be your only object of adoration. 
He is to reign alone within your heart. Absorbed in the 
contemplation of his divine excellence;—devoted to the 
execution of his holy will,—seeking and recognizing the 
labor he has authorized, and the spirit in which he wishes 
every thing done; rejecting every thing, whether of 
honor, or pleasure, or profit, which is not for his glory; 
your life in all the future is to flow out in the channels 
of divine love. 

1. Can you do this? You fear you cannot. You 
really cannot if your own power alone is to be brought 
into exercise. But shrink not from the effort—look not 
now into the future, confine yourself to the present. 
The question is not now what mil you do—what can 
you do before you die—next year, or even the next 
moment; but at this present time can you—will you hand 
all over to God. Think carefully. If you had prop¬ 
erty in your hands that belonged to another, could you 


IN ITS COUNSELS. 


225 


not hand it oyer to him, and in such a way as to con¬ 
sider it henceforth in every sense entirely his ? You 
say. Certainly I could do this, and would do it at once. 
God forbid that I should claim any thing that does not 
belong to me. But here is a fundamental principle of 
the consecration you are now called upon to make, “ Ye 
are not your own, for ye are bought with a price ; there¬ 
fore’glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which 
are God’s.” It has been an error to conceive of yourself 
and your possessions as your own. Of this you have 
been long aware, arid you have been gradually coming 
-to the light, until you have at length discovered that all 
rivalry of God within you, is not only to be conquered 
but totally eradicated. This you now understand. You 
know whose these powers and possessions are ; will you 
promptly and unreservedly hand them over to him? 
We mean not that you can, as a natural act, make this 
consecration to God with the same ease, and in the same 
manner, as you could restore the goods belonging to 
another. We seek only to illustrate the right, and 
the practicability of the duty. There are acknowl¬ 
edged difficulties in the way of the one not in the way 
of the other. Your remaining selfishness is in the 
form of depravity which resists with cruel obstinacy 
this last and unrestricted effort to destroy it ; and the 
arch enemy who would have nothing to object to the 
payment of an honest debt, because objection would 
be hopeless, will exhaust all his skill and power to pre¬ 
vent this entire surrender to God. And then, there is 
the force of a long established and habitual error in the 
conception of every thing as of right belonging to you, 
and you may not easily break the snare, and make the 


226 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


entire consecration. Besides, this is a good act which 
you are called upon to do,—a religious act; and you are 
well aware that you can by no means do a good act, or 
speak a good word, without the grace of God in Christ 
Jesus preventing, you,—going before, preparing the way 
and powerfully aiding you. It is not, therefore, after 
the manner of a mere ordinary business transaction that 
you can make this consecration. And yet, surely, you 
can make it. You are entreated to make it, “ I beseech 
you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye 
present your bodies [yourselves] a living sacrifice, holy, 
acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.” 
There can, therefore, be nothing impossible in it. Indeed, 
nothing can be easier, if you do it by the grace of God, 
by the aid of the Holy Spirit. If you say, in so many 
words, and from the undisguised sincerity of your heart, 
I will, by thy help, 0, my Savior, give up all to thee 
forever, you will he graciously aided,—you will be able 
to say, “ I can do all things through Christ which strength- 
eneth me.” 

2. And what will you lose—what will you really sac¬ 
rifice ? You must renounce the world; and do you not 
feel called to this? We mean not that you are to go 
out of the world,—not that you are to resign any of its 
lawful pleasures. “ The earth is the Lord’s, and the ful¬ 
ness thereof, the world and they that dwell therein; ” 
but he has placed us here to honor him in its appropri¬ 
ation. It must therefore be acknowledged his, as it really 
is. No man is allowed a more delightful use of the pre¬ 
cious gifts of God, temporal and spiritual, than he who is 
wholly consecrated. It is a sanctified use—a use which 
recognizes all the claims of God in behalf of his church 


IN ITS COUNSELS. 


m 


and the world;—reserves his portion for his special 
service, with a conceded claim on all the rest, for what¬ 
ever the exigencies of religion may require;—wastes 
nothing—uses nothing in needless self-indulgence, and 
uses that which is wanted for present purposes, as much 
as the portion given, for the glory of God. All this you feel 
to be delightfully true in its strongest sense, and it is in 
perfect harmony with this that you are ordered, “ love 
not the world, neither the things that are in the world.” 
“ Set your affections on things above, not on things on the 
earth.” And in a yet broader sense, you are entreated, “ be 
not conformed to this world, but he ye transformed, by the 
renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that 
good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.” Here 
is the evidence of your duty; what will you do with it ? 
The help is at your command. O lift up your heart to 
God for the needed aid, and, 

“ Strong in the sense which God supplies, 

Through his eternal Son,” 

renounce the world—its carnal pleasures—its honors— 
its wealth forever. 

3. As you repeat the vows of your baptism now, 
with a deeper, holier significance than ever before, 
saying, “ I renounce them all,” does not God know 
you are sincere? that you now make this renuncia¬ 
tion understanding^ to include everything ? Then 
is it not really done? As you feel yourself sinking 
humbly down at the Savior’s feet, and say again, I 
renounce them, do you not see them retiring? and 
can you regret them? Surely you cannot. How 
fearfully have they deceived you! Riches have prom- 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


228 

ised you happiness, but bitterly disappointed you ; let 
them go. Honor lias been to you a bubble, and never 
redeemed one of its promises; let it go. Pleasure has 
been to you like the fair but bitter apple of Sodom ; let 
it go. Your worldly associations have been but the 
scene of your unhallowed dissipation, and the precursor 
of darkness and despair ; let them go. See these visions 
of your torture—of your severest troubles, as they 
retire! Would you call them back? No. Let them 
go. You part with them without a pang. Ail—all 
is gone but your Savior, and you are alone with him. 
Nothing else is left for you in earth or heaven. And is 
not he enough? “ In him all fulness dwells.” Shut 
up to him, and him alone, are you not entirely safe ? 
There rest your weary spirit. 


SEC. VI. THE FAITH EXERCISED. 

You have now reached a point in which the question 
of faith is of paramount importance. You have renoun¬ 
ced all dependence upon self; all trust in an arm of 
flesh. You have seen one after another of your earthly 
supports fail. You dare not trust again, anything less 
than infinite power. You would not recall one worldly 
dependence which you have renounced. To you, there 
is now absolutely but one hope, one confidence left, and 
you need no other. “ Behold the Lamb of God which 
taketh away the sin of the world.” Pause humbly, 
silently, before the crucified. You have now but one 
all-absorbing desire—to be “ cleansed from all sin,”—to 
be fully prepared to glorify God and enjoy him forever. 
See, now, the blood of Jesus Christ which cleanseth 


229 


IN ITS COUNSELS. 

from all sin. How entirely efficacious,—how completely 
it meets the demands of the law,—how fully it pays your 
debt,—how sovereign the remedy. Dare you trust it ? 
Nay, dare you do otherwise ? You do trust it now;— 
you depend upon it for pardon, for acceptance ; why not 
for salvation from all inward defilement ? . • 

1. You long for the fulness, and in him all fulness 
dwells.” Gaze for a while into that noble, throbbing 
heart. For you it beats with infinite love. You cannot, 
—do not doubt his love. He suffered for you. He 
grappled with death for you. He' rose-from the tomb 
leading captive your captivity. How kindly he bore 
with you in your rebellion! With what compassion he 
lifted you up, and embraced you when you came all 
guilty and trembling, and fell at his feet. How he blest 
you—forgave all your sins, and made you his child, his 
heir to all his blood had purchased! Can you doubt? 

2 . Call some precious Scripture to your aid. This, for 
instance, “ For we have not an high priest that cannot 
be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in 
all points tempted like as we are, yet .without sin. Let 
us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that 
we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time 
of need.” “ Touched with the feeling of our infirmities! ” 
Is is possible ? The sympathy of Jesus! A revealed, 
a glorious fact. 

You are in a condition to need sympathy. How great 
your infirmities. How deeply you have felt them. How 
weak and erring at every step, and how fearful that you 
should some time fall to rise no more. How many efforts 
to reform have you made and found yourself failing in 

the midst of them. How often in the morning have 
20 


230 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


you risen, and on your knees covenanted that every 
moment of the day should be the Lord’s, bul when the 
night has come, with what feelings of regret have you 
bowed to seek forgiveness for your unholy tempers, your 
unguarded levity, your worldly desires, your want of 
devotion, or your idleness in your Master’s vineyard! 
How strangely feeble when you ought to have been 
strong—how timid and doubting when you should have 
triumphed in the power of living faith. Yes, you have 
needed sympathy, and need it still. There you lie at 
the foot of the cross “ weaker than a bruised reed.” What 
can you do ? 

Christ is qualified to sympathize with you. He is a 
man ; he is your weeping, sympathizing brother; he is a 
tried man; he has passed through every fiery ordeal. 
Remember the mountain and the forty days. Remember 
Gethsemane, the bar of Pilate and Calvary. He is a 
triumphant man. “ Yet without sin.” What a volume 
of meaning—what a comprehensive theology in these 
few words ! He encountered the foe, and he conquered 
—conquered for you. See him on Tabor, with “ his 
garments white and glistering.” See him rising from 
the sepulchre;—stand with him upon Olivet, and see him 
ascending! for you “ he ascended up on high—he led 
captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.” Here is 
triumph—here is victory—victory for you. 

The sympathy of Jesus is no mere name. It is an 
available sympathy. “Let us therefore come boldly 
unto the throne of grace.” “ The throne ” is the seat 
and the emblem of royalty. Grace is enthroned, a 
sovereign in this dispensation. Grace personifies the 
risen Christ, who has royal prerogatives now. “ The gov- 


4 


IN ITS COUNSELS. 231 

ernment is upon his shoulder, and his name is Wonder¬ 
ful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, 
the Prince of Peace.” Look into the sanctum sanctorum 
of the Jewish tabernacle. There is the ark of the tes¬ 
timony. The law is there, with its power unbroken, and 
its wrath threatening the sinner with instant death. But, 
let the priest of God approach. His ceremonial prepa¬ 
rations complete, there is no danger. The covering to 
-the ark of the testimony is the seat of mercy. Mercy 
is enthroned there directly above and upon the law. 
The wings of cherubim are spread over the mercy seat, and 
the Shechinah is there to symbolize the glory of him who 
reigns a prince upon the throne of mercy. And, mark 
the import of these expressive symbols. They directly 
proclaim to the approaching culprit, “ Draw near with¬ 
out alarm. The law is here, it is true, I must preserve its 
integrity; but it shall not harm you. I hold its thunders 
in abeyance. I satisfy its claims, and dispense mercy to 
those who deserve its fiercest wrath.” Here is your safety. 

Since your Savior came in person, and has redeemed 
the pledges of prophecy, the throne of grace is no longer 
local. Everywhere he reigns, and invites the world to 
his feet; not for trial, not for punishment, but “ that 
they may obtain mercy.” You have tried it, you went 
where the wrath of the law should have flamed out and 
consumed you, and you found “mercy.” Come again. 
Here is “ grace to help in time of need.” Just in this 
hour of extremity the grace of full salvation is here at 
your command. Come, and come “boldly.” This, you 
will say, is a strange liberty for a worm of earth. How can 
a poor sinner be bold in the presence of his righteous 
Judge, the august Sovereign of the universe ? Surely, 


232 THE CENTRAL IDEA 

not on his own account—not in view of any thing he has 
ever been, or thought, or felt, or done. If to himself 
alone he must look, it is right that he should shrink 
with alarm at the idea of an approach to God. But see; 
it is because we have a sympathizing High Priest that 
we are to come " boldly The degree of your confi¬ 
dence in this approach is to be the measure of the 
honor you will confer upon your sympathizing Savior. 
" Boldly,” because he bleeds, and weeps, and prays for 
you; "boldly,” for you come at his own command to 
ask the grace you need; " boldly,” for he bends toward 
you and stretches out his wounded hands to receive you; 
" boldly,” for he cannot deny himself, he will redeem 
his rich and gracious promise, and " save to the utter¬ 
most.” O, trembling spirit, take courage; be not afraid 
of Jesus; come near to him; fall into his arms; press 
closely to his bosom, that you may feel the throbbings of 
his heart of love. Let him wrap you in his crimson 
vest, and you shall feel, and say, "The blood of Jesus 
Christ cleanseth us”—cleanseth me—"from all sin.” 
Now let your fears depart;—no more shrinking or hesi¬ 
tating. With humble simplicity, with faith that receives 
Christ for every thing—your " wisdom and righteous¬ 
ness, sanctification and redemption ”—claim the answer 
to prayer, and claim it now, "Cleanse thou me 
from secret faults,” "Create in me a clean heart, O, 
God.” You are urging the prayer; hear what your 
Savior says; " Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, 
that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the 
Son.” Here let your humbled spirit rest, and claim the 
full efficacy of the atonement, for yourself, without a 
doubt. Do you now really do this ? 


IN ITS COUNSELS. 


233 


O, how sweet this divine influence running through 
the soul; how wonderful this amazing renovation,—this 
gracious baptism,—this sinking down into God! "What 
richness of faith, what power of love, what rest of spirit! 
Cleansed by the Holy Ghost, what a sacred sense of 
inward purity, what visions of God, what deep and holy 
joy fill the soul,—love, “ perfect love! ” it “ casteth out 
fear.” 

If you are right, you have believed implicitly in the 
promises of God, and what safer exercise of the immor¬ 
tal soul can ever, under any circumstances, be possible ? 
The holy, immutable God, cannot be untrue, and we 
will trust that, at last, you have confided in him fully ; 
without a doubt. You have believed the Savior, and 
cast your all upon him forever. Your consecrated soul 
has accepted him to the exclusion of every thing else, 
as your entire sanctification, as your all in this world, 
and in the world to come; and your calm, appropriating, 
commanding faith, has been answered in the descending 
baptism of the Holy Ghost. Until the reception of this 
inward witness, you have not believed the work accom¬ 
plished. Your faith was a present, prevailing power, 
that brought the assurances of God’s word into one 
decisive moment, and then you believed that you had 
the things for which you prayed; but you did not believe 
you had obtained the blessing of holiness that you might 
obtain it. 

3. There is a necessary distinction between the fact 
and the condition of the fact. Faith in the blood that 
cleanses, is certainly antecedent to the fact of being 
cleansed, and a condition of it. Then the order of time 
must be, 1st, the faith in Christ and his promises, that 
20 * 


234 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


secures the application of his cleansing blood; 2d, the 
fact of the blood applied, which takes all sin away; 3d, 
the evidence of the fact—direct, the witness of the 
spirit—inferential, from the feeling of renovation and 
the promises; 4th, faith in the fact founded upon the 
evidence. 

This succession is, generally, matter of consciousness; 
but it need not be, to be true, for, as we before had occa¬ 
sion to remark, succession is frequently so rapid as to 
be inappreciable. The yielding, the trust, the cleans¬ 
ing, the witness, may all be so closely successive as to 
seem simultaneous. But that the condition of a fact 
must precede the fact, is a universal truth; that the fact 
must precede the evidence of the fact, is another; that 
the evidence of the fact must precede belief in the fact, 
another; that no fact can be a condition of itself, 
another. Faith in the existence of a fact, the condition 
of its existence is an absurdity. 

Faith in the possible, is one thing; faith in the prob¬ 
able, another thing; faith in the morally certain, another; 
and faith in the actual, another. Now to say that faith 
in the fact that we are cleansed from all sin, is a condi¬ 
tion of being so, is to say that belief in the actual is a 
condition of the actual, which is either to speak unin¬ 
telligibly, or to say what cannot possibly be true. The 
Scripture that has been supposed to teach this doctrine, 
only insists upon faith in the present answer to prayer, 
an important duty by far too much overlooked. The 
soul gasping for purity, cries out, “ I believe he is able 
to cleanse me; ” this is faith in the possible. “ I believe 
he is willing; ” faith in the possible strengthened. “ I 
believe he is able and willing to cleanse me now, just as 


IN ITS COUNSELS. 


235 


I am;” faith in the probable. “I believe he will do 
it ; ” faith in the morally certain ; the last earthly reliance 
is renounced. “ I believe he does save me; I sink into 
his arms; the promise is sure; the renovating power 
runs through me; the spirit itself beareth witness; I 
believe that I receive the things I ask; I am saved, com¬ 
pletely, perfectly saved; ” this is faith in the actual. It 
is believed there are many witnesses to the truth of this 
description. 

And is not this finally what we all mean ? When 
brethren insist that we shall believe the work now 
accomplished, and it surely will be; it certainly is; do 
they mean to exclude the prerequisites of entire conse¬ 
cration, and faith in the power and willingness of Christ 
to save wholly? We do not understand them so. We 
think there is not one who would not insist upon these 
as indispensable to the application of the cleansing blood. 
Do they mean that the simple belief of any man, that 
he is wholly sanctified, is a condition and an evidence 
of his being so, without regard to his previous state, or 
present exercises ? We are sure they do not. We pre¬ 
sume all include the inseparable antecedent of a con¬ 
scious perfect dedication of the soul and body to God, 
for time and eternity. Now mark, if we attack them 
upon the supposition that they mean real dedication, 
because conscious, we make a false issue, for they cer¬ 
tainly mean conscious because real, not real because con¬ 
scious. Again, to whom do they say, “ Believe that the 
work is done, and it is done?” To those who are with¬ 
out a present, perfect, appropriating faith in the cleans¬ 
ing blood of Christ ? We think not. The exhortation 
is usually, at least, based upon the supposition that the 


236 


THE CENTRAL IDEA. 


faith in the blood of Jesus, is really that which cleanseth 
from all sin, and hence the soul is hound to believe the 
work accomplished according to the unchangeable faith¬ 
fulness of God. Observe, it is so because he believes in 
Christ for it. He believes it is so because it is so, and 
it is not so because he believes it. 

But when the consecration is perfect, and the faith 
really sanctifying, who does not know that Satan has 
many devices to prevent the enjoyment of the blessing ? 
Preconceived opinions, almost certainly erroneous, are 
thrust in for comparison, and it is the fell design of the 
enemy that instead of making experience the test of 
these opinions, they shall be the test of experience. 
Hence the instant suggestion, this deep humility; this 
settling into God; this dissolving love; this amazing 
simplicity; this perfect repose; this seraphic sweetness, 
is not entire sanctification;—it is a deeper work of 
grace—a great blessing. You must look for something 
more wonderful than this. Alas! How many have 
been thus defrauded, when nothing was wanting but to 
believe the work complete. It really was so ; and, by 
the blood and promise of Christ—by the power and tes¬ 
timony of the Holy Ghost, they were entitled to believe 
it; and they grieved the blessed Savior, and brought 
darkness upon their souls by refusing to believe it. 

To remedy an evil so extensive and so fearful in its 
effects, many have called attention most earnestly and 
beseechingly to the idea of present faith; faith in the 
actual fulfilment of the Savior’s promises, when their 
conditions occur. In some instances, it is true, there 
has seemed to be an overlooking of these conditions, and 
so far, of course, zeal has done injury; but in the general, 


IN ITS COUNSELS. 


237 


we are persuaded, this has been only in appearance. And 
just so far as present prevailing faith has become the rul¬ 
ing element of prayer, great good nas been accomplished. 

4. How deeply have “ the pure in heart ” mourned 
as they have witnessed the general feeling of distance 
from the great event of entire salvation! It has 
exhibited itself in the utter omission of the subject from 
prayers, conversation and preaching; in the languor 
which has accompanied occasional allusions to it; in the 
manifest timidity of even good men when the subject 
was mentioned in company; in the dreadful silence that 
has frequently followed the humblest professions of 
those who have tremblingly claimed the precious bless¬ 
ing ; in the cautions that have been occasionally dropped, 
to beware of enthusiasm; and most of all, in the con¬ 
duct of the great mass of professed believers in the 
doctrine of holiness, who, it must be mournfully con¬ 
fessed, have not acted as though they were expecting the 
cleansing baptism of the Holy Ghost to follow their 
labors; as though they felt themselves to be upon the 
very point of realizing the efficacy of the Savior’s blood 
to cleanse them from all sin; as though they really 
stood upon the very shore of the great ocean of holi¬ 
ness, and were just about to plunge in and be made every 
whit whole. After sermons and prayers, and exhorta¬ 
tions, they have not been looking this way and that, to 
find the spirits who were “ all on fire to be dissolved in 
love.” Indeed, we cannot resist the conviction, that a 
struggle for full deliverance just now, and especially, the 
humble declaration of -success in the struggle, followed 
by an earnest effort to bring others into the immediate 
triumphs of faith, would excite an evident concern for 


238 THE CENTRAL IDEA 

the stability and unity of the church. Entire sanctifica¬ 
tion may be preached, may be prayed for, may be con¬ 
versed about sparingly, so long as the time is in the 
distant future! It may even be urged as a present 
privilege; but who can deny the alarm and the caution 
and the standing-off which follow present action and 
profession according to the faith of our fathers ? 

It is under these circumstances that many have cried 
out with spirits almost bursting with grief, not hereafter, 
not next year, not to-morrow, but now, dear brethren, 
even this very moment, we are called to holiness. Dis¬ 
tance ! Alas! this fatal, fearful distance has well-nigh 
ruined us. Now is the time to seek for perfect love— 
now is the time to obtain it. Now is the time for the 
whole church to rouse herself and rush into the glorious 
strife. This is the very day to gird on our armor, to 
fight and to conquer. 

And in the same spirit prayer has, at least in a few 
instances, put off its procrastinating forms, and assumed 
a confidence, a boldness, a power, which calls down the 
present baptism upon the panting spirit. And faith is 
talked of, and urged as a power that acts instantly in the 
struggle for purity—that grasps a perfect Savior and 
will not let him go; that believes at once every thing 
he has said; appropriates now the blood that cleanseth 
from all sin, and hence entitles the soul to the glorious 
faith that the work is done, that it has in very deed the 
thing for which it prays. A commanding, active, omnip¬ 
otent style of faith, this, which annihilates time, and 
makes the order of events comparatively unimportant. 
Would to God there was more of it. 

In this struggle, probably some have stated injudi- 


IN ITS COUNSELS. 


239 


ciously, and even erroneously, the conditions of entire 
sanctification. The faith that sanctifies may have been, 
in some instances, lost sight of, in the anxiety to secure 
faith in the fact that the work is already done. Too 
literal an adherence to the language of one text, may 
have diverted attention from the scope of the sacred 
writings upon the subject. Some may have believed, 
prematurely, that they were wholly sanctified. All this 
is probable. Admit that it is even certain, and that so 
far we have cause to regret, and be admonished of our 
danger. 

5. We dare to believe no radical difference exists 
among us; indeed, we would almost venture to write 
the very words in which we all really harmonize. Are 
we correct that our brethren who have been deemed in 
error on this subject, do mean that those whom they 
exhort to believe they have received the blessing, are 
supposed to have made a perfect consecration of soul 
and body to God forever;—that by appropriating faith 
they have apprehended and received the cleansing power 
of a Savior’s blood, and are hence entitled to "reckon 
themselves dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God, 
through Jesus Christ, our Lord,” but have been hindered 
by erroneous opinions, by constitutional timidity, by fears 
of self-deception, by the artificial terrors inspired by an 
unbelieving age, or by the direct influence of the devil, 
from claiming the blessing;—in fine, that they wish 
men to believe in a fact, not that it may be a fact, but 
because it is a fact; and that their great aim is to excite 
present inquiry, present effort, present faith, present 
answer to prayer; to secure present entire salvation, 
present evidence of it, and present belief in the fact ? 


240 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


Then, in principle, they are right. Let us commune 
with these spirits for a few moments. 

6. We have no selfish ends to serve; a blind devo¬ 
tion to any particular phraseology is no part of our 
character; an attempt to get all men to adopt our pecu¬ 
liar “ Shibboleth,” no part of our mission. We will 
give up forms, words, illustrations, any thing, every 
thing, but the thing itself; holiness, a distinct blessing 
to be sought, obtained, professed, practised, and urged 
with all humility and love, but with might and main, 
upon the whole church,—entire sanctification through 
faith in Christ, the present privilege, and the present 
duty of all Christians. This we never will give up. 
In the name of Jesus, and with the eye of faith fixed 
upon his cleansing blood, we will contend for it till death 
shall sign our release. 

But subordinate to this we will be any thing or noth¬ 
ing, for the sake of the cause. We will modify our 
forms of expression, so as to obviate, if possible, the 
objections of brethren. We will be even more particu¬ 
lar to insist upon the prerequisites of entire consecration 
and perfect trust in the merits of the Savior, and upon 
the evidence, direct and indirect, that the work is wrought 
as the ground of believing that it is. We will try to 
speak of “ believing that we have it,” in such a way that 
all the world shall know, we mean it is because we have 
the evidence that it is ours. So long as we are without 
the evidence, we will admit that there is some defect in 
our faith; that, whatever it may be, it is something less 
than appropriating faith. And when we urge seekers 
of the blessing to believe that they have it, it shall 
always be, not that they may obtain it, but because, upon 


IN ITS COUNSELS. 


241 


close and careful examination, we believe they have 
already received it; because in their subdued spirits, in 
their melted hearts, in their dissolving love, in their 
quiet mighty faith and heavenly words, they exhibit the 
phenomena of the sanctified state, and are entitled to the 
faith of assurance. 

So shall the advocates of holiness speak a common 
language, as well as believe a common faith, and aim at 
a common object. And we have all the solemn motives 
of eternity to seek union among ourselves. In numbers 
the church is comparatively a feeble band; but with united 
power, under the guidance of the Holy Ghost, she 
will accomplish her mission. Infinite gratification no 
doubt it would be, to our common foe, to see us dis¬ 
tracted by theological controversies; divided and scat¬ 
tered upon words, and illustrations, and means, when 
we are, in fact, all actuated by the same lofty and soul¬ 
stirring aims. No! It must not, cannot be. Jesus, 
our perfect Savior, will graciously prevent it; and 
with a heart of love, throwing its life-current to the 
extremities, at every pulsation, we shall move on simul¬ 
taneously in our holy work. 

7. We return to the earnest seeker after the blessing 
of perfect love. We trust it has done you no harm to 
think. Even a brief discussion upon a point of difficulty, 
and especially of difference among the friends of holiness, 
would, perhaps, confuse and discourage a mind merely 
under the influence of temporary excitement. The 
whole effort might be abandoned as the result of 
strong temptation. But we have assumed that your 
resolution is an intelligent and decisive one, the result 

of profound conviction followed by the dissolving of 
21 


242 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


heart, the sincerity of confession, and the completeness 
of consecration, which belong to this thorough and 
exalted work. Indeed, we have supposed you in the 
very act of casting yourself, by a faith that in no respect 
wavers or hesitates, upon the merits of the Savior’s blood 
for entire sanctification; and you are not diverted. You 
have felt it a pleasure to pause in the calmness of sus¬ 
tained confidence, and examine the character of true 
sanctifying faith ; and do you see it clearly ? At least, 
you understand that it is not merely faith in Christ for 
the forgiveness of actual sin;—not the trust that removes 
a burden of guilt. This, you have long enjoyed, and 
quite well understood. But now you have been called 
upon for a higher and more commanding style of faith,— 
a faith that claims ample provision in the gospel for 
entire deliverance from sin—power in the blood of 
Christ to cleanse you horn all sin, and to accomplish this 
work, not at some future indefinite time,—not to-mor¬ 
row, but now,—just as you are. A faith has been demand¬ 
ed that would yield nothing to the suggestions of the 
enemy, or the timidity of shrinking self, but claim the 
immediate application of the cleansing blood, washing 
away every stain, and filling the soul with “ all the ful¬ 
ness of God.” Do you now exercise this faith? Do you 
this moment claim for yourself, the complete efficacy of 
the atonement, extending to every defect, and every 
want of the soul? Is your doubting at an end, and 
henceforth, are you to have just what there is in Christ, 
and only this, for your portion in this life, and in the 
life to come ? Do you take him for your “ wisdom and 
righteousness and sanctification and redemption ? ” And 
are you satisfied to be shut up to this result,—to have 




IN ITS COUNSELS. 


243 


no other resource,—no other dependence for happiness 
or security, now and forever? How delightful is the 
simplicity of appropriating faith. One object “ the fairest 
among ten thousand, and the one altogether lovely,” fills 
the whole field of vision. One exercise engages the soul; 
—trust—simple trust, for all you want,—confidence 
that claims the atoning blood as just sufficient to meet 
every demand, and extending to every part of indwell¬ 
ing sin, not to apologize for it, but to remove it totally 
and at once, so that henceforth you may “ reckon your¬ 
self dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through 
Jesus Christ our Lord.” Here then let your soul rest, 
calmly, sweetly rest. Already the saving blood may 
have been applied. Even now, you may feel the calm 
sinking into God,—the desending baptism of the Holy 
Ghost.—At this moment you may hear the quiet whispers 
of the witnessing Spirit, and experience the fulness, rich¬ 
ness, and power of perfect love. God grant it may be so. 
But let not your faith, your reliance, your appropriating 
trust waver for a moment. This is to be steady and 
complete, not affected by any mutability of feeling or 
circumstances. Simply, because Christ is true, and 
God’s word cannot fail you, are to believe every promise. 
Such confidence will not be in vain, for the promises of 
God are, “ yea and amen to him that believeth.” 

SEC. VII. THE PRAYER OFFERED. 

The spirit of prayer must pervade this whole effort. 
The conviction in which it has its origin, depends much 
upon this for its clearness, pungency and success. It is 
true, that much of the convincing work of the Holy 


244 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


Spirit is without the consent of the soul enlightened; 
but nothing of actual salvation is accomplished without 
the free concurrence of the moral agent. The Holy 
Spirit is given in special power to them that ask him, 
and thus the mind inquiring after holiness receives the 
strongest conviction of its necessity and possibility, 
while humbly and ardently breathing out its desires 
for the presence and influence of the Holy Spirit. 
Those who are unfaithful in their devotions feel very 
little “ hungering and thirsting after righteousness,”— 
very little conviction for indwelling sin. There is 
moreover no strength in resolution to seek for holiness 
which is not aided in answer to prayer. God gives 
power to form the purpose, inspires it with his own 
divine energy, and maintains it in increasing firmness, 
in answer to prayer. He sends the melting power that 
prepares the soul for the completion of this great work 
in answer to prayer. He gives strength and sincerity 
to make the required confession in answer to prayer. 
There is no real and full consecration but by the special 
aid received in answer to prayer, and the “faith that 
works by love and purifies the heart,” the clear, com¬ 
prehensive, commanding faith which realizes the 
promise “ ye shall be clean,” is stimulated and invested 
with its omnipotent power in answer to prayer. Prayer 
is therefore the grand means of success in this great 
undertaking. But some particulars deserve special con¬ 
sideration. 

1. Prayer should be intelligent and discriminating, to 
secure its object with greatest ease and certainty. We 
grant that there are manifest provisions for much of 
human weakness and ignorance. We do not deny, but 


IN ITS COUNSELS. 


245 


are happy to allow, that many who from the negligent 
habits of early life, or the force of theological training, 
have failed to acquire just views of the special work of 
sanctification, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, 
and in answer to prayer, that is quite general, and unde¬ 
fined in its objects, do actually receive the cleansing 
baptism, and become real examples of perfect love. But 
all this indefiniteness is evidently in the way of the 
most sincere exertion. There is confusion in the view, 
and dissipation of thought, giving great advantage to 
temptation, and preventing the grasp of faith, which is 
so important in such a crisis. Let the thing desired be 
matter of distinct and intense thought, and separated 
from everything else, let it be asked for. 

For this definiteness in prayer, you have ample 
authority in divine revelation. You are now in the 
condition of David, who longed for inward purity, and 
with him you can pray “ Create in me a clean heart, O 
God, and renew a right spirit within me ; ”—“ cleanse 
thou me from secret faults.” This is exactly to the 
point. There is no confusion, no indefiniteness in this 
prayer. Urge it in the name of Christ until it is 
answered. You pray in harmony with apostolic plead¬ 
ings in behalf of Christians. Read the following: 
“ Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God 
would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all 
the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of 
faith with power; that the name of our Lord Jesus 
Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according 
to the grace of our God, and the Lord Jesus Christ.” 
Here is the Scripture warrant, and you take up the 

prayer of the apostle, and ask for yourself what he has 
21 * 


246 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


asked for you and others. You wish to be ready “when 
he shall come to be glorified in his saints/’ and you 
pray *“ that our God would count you worthy of this 
calling; and fulfil/’ in you “ all the good pleasure of 
his goodness, and the work of faith with power, that 
the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in 
you, and ye in him, according to the grace of God, and 
the Lord Jesus Christ.” This is exactly what you are 
now asking,—“the work of faith with power;” and 
how strong is the consolation, in the fact that you pray 
in the use of inspired language, and ask nothing disal¬ 
lowed or questionable in character or extent. The 
Savior prayed “ Sanctify them through thy truth,” and you 
pray, “ Sanctify ” me “ through thy truth.” He teaches 
all his children to pray “ Thy kingdom come, thy will 
be done in earth as it is in heaven; ” and you say “ Thy 
kingdom come, thy will be done ” in me, and by me, 
“as it is in heaven.” The apostle prays “the very 
God of peace sanctify you wholly,” and you say “ the 
very God of peace sanctify” me “wholly.” This is 
specific prayer for the blessing of entire sanctification, 
and, as you distinctly see, it is entirely in accordance 
with the revelation of God. 

And why should you not ask for the very blessing 
you need and desire ? When you want one thing of 
your fellow-man, you do not ask for another. The very 
thing asked for is what you may expect to obtain. “ If 
a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will 
he give him a stone ? or, if he ask a fish, will he for a 
fish give him a serpent ? or, if he shall ask an egg, will 
he offer him a scorpion ? If ye then, being evil, know 
how to give good gifts unto your children; how much 


IN ITS COUNSELS. 


247 


more shall your Heavenly Father, give the Holy Spirit 
to them that ask him.” Here is revealed the infinite 
willingness of God the Father to answer our prayers, 
and the Scripture authority for asking, expecting, and 
receiving the specific blessing desired. What is thus so 
in harmony with reason, is exactly in accordance with 
the divine plan. No “ scorpion ’’-gift shall be presented 
to the child who asks “ an egg ; ”—no deceptive influ¬ 
ence shall be given to the devout believing mind which 
pleads for “ the Holy Spirit; ”—he who seeks the 
purifying baptism from above, may recognize the voice 
of unchangeable veracity in the assurance, “Ask and ye 
shall receive.” We mean not that the good are never 
to ask anything else but perfect love; but all things 
whatsoever they ask when they pray should be as 
distinctly defined as possible, and especially so of this 
great and full salvation. Let the mind be so centred 
and fixed upon it, that its pleading may be earnest and 
absorbing. In this way may the full power of prayer 
be realized. 

2 . Your own helplessness must be .deeply felt. Prayer 
is the language of dependence, and to exert its utmost 
strength the sense of dependence must be complete. 
This has been shown to you in a remarkable degree at 
the time of your voluntary consecration, but it must not 
be forgotten in your prayers for a clean heart. Look 
again at this utter want of strength in yourself. See 
how you sink into nothing before the flaming law and 
the awful puiity of God. Where are the powers within 
you by which you can hope to cleanse away the stains 
of sin, or raise yourself to the bliss of perfect love ? 
What fact in your character or life, could you think of 


248 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


pleading, as the ground or reason for your sanctification ' 
You can think of none,—there is absolutely nothing of 
self which can deliver you, or upon which you can 
place any value. It is given up; it is all yielded a 
willing sacrifice, and Christ is all to you. In this utter 
self-abandonment, with what exclusive reliance do you 
turn to your bleeding Savior. This is the frame of 
mind for prayer. O, how strong is the merit of his 
blood! how perfect are all the provisions of infinite love 
in him! Nothing more is wanted, nothing asked, 
nothing thought of. “ The blood of Jesus Christ— 
cleanseth from all sin.” 

“ I the chief of sinners am, 

But Jesus died for me.” 

Here is the place for the strength of prayer. There 
seems to be nothing now in its way. It rises in bold 
and humble confidence, and claims the realization of its 
largest requests. 

3. Faith must triumph in the prayer for a clean heart. 
We have discussed faith in a separate section, but we 
must return to it here. It is mingled as we have 
assumed in all right mental exercises which relate to 
the work of God in the soul. It has not, we are sure, 
been absent in one of your investigations, or struggles 
to reach the grand result held out to you in the holy 
Scriptures. But it has special position and importance 
in the pleadings of prayer. All this you understand; 
but you may even now be asking what am I entitled to 
believe ? We answer clearly and distinctly, that the 
provision for you in the blood of Christ is ample,—is 
exactly what you need,—is, at this moment, available to 


IN ITS COUNSELS. 


249 


save you to the uttermost. Moreover, your confidence 
in the revealed method of obtaining the avails of the 
Savior’s death should he unwavering. You are to “ ask 
and receive that your joy may be full.” You are ask¬ 
ing, and it would be a great error to assume that it avails 
nothing to ask,—that there is no blessing connected with 
right obedience to God in an effort of prayer. True, 
there is no merit in prayer,—no merit in any thing but 
in the blood of Jesus. It is not, how’ever, a question 
of merit, but of the advantages of asking,—of the 
blessing guarantied to prayer. What are your rights on 
Christ’s account alone as a praying man, and especially 
when you are pleading for entire sanctification ? The 
Savior himself shall answer. “And whatsoever ye shall 
ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be 
glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask anything in my name 
I will do it.” Look now at the strength of this position. 
“ It is the will of God, even your sanctification ”—that 
you should be sanctified wholly. He has said, “Ask 
and ye shall receive.” You are asking with deep con¬ 
viction of your necessity,—with firm purpose to perse¬ 
vere,—with all you have, and are, so far as you can now 
see or understand, consecrated to God forever,—with 
your resolution acknowledged in the sight of heaven 
and earth, and your heart all melted down before God 
under the influence of the Holy Spirit. Under these 
circumstances you are asking in the name of Jesus. Are 
vou not then in duty bound, to believe that he will do 
it ? He surely will. Read his sacred promise again: 
“And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, 
that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” What 
can command your faith if this declaration cannot ? Ho\v 


250 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


are you to excuse yourself for a moment’s hesitancy ? It 
is the unequivocal declaration of Christ—the veracity of 
the Savior, that you are called upon to believe. O, doubt 
it not. As certain as it must be the desire of the Father 
to be glorified in the Son, your simple, earnest, believing 
prayer shall be answered. This is your stronghold. 
In this divine condescension, in this gracious assurance, 
all things requisite for soul and body, for time or-eternity 
which you shall ask, believing, are thus secured to you. 
You will guard against postponement. Again, we urge 
a faith that brings you at once, even this very instant, 
into the enjoyment of the fulness. Hear the Savior 
once more, “What things soever ye desire when ye 
pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have 
them.” How evidently he who knows all things would 
guard you against all idea of distance,—against defer¬ 
ring the time for the reception of the special blessing for 
which you pray. True, the reception must be after the 
prayer for the blessing desired, but it should be imme¬ 
diately after; the reception must be after the faith that 
brings the blessing, but it should be instantly after, so 
as indeed to make the asking, believing and receiving, 
virtually simultaneous. “Ye shall have them.” They 
are purchased for you. They have been long proffered 
to you. They are ready at hand to be conferred upon 
you, and the very moment your faith in Jehovah’s 
promise,—in the blood of Jesus, is such as to command 
them, “ ye shall have them.” 

But do you say, I believe in the power and willing¬ 
ness of Christ to save me from all sin. I ask it, 
believing that he will just now answer the prayer, and 
yet I feel no change,—no inward witness,—no special 


IN ITS COUNSELS, 


251 


bapdsm. Am I notwithstanding entitled to believe 
that I do receive the blessing ? Certainly not; your 
state of mind is not such as would inevitably fellow if 
the cleansing power of the Holy Ghost had fallen upon 
you. Do you therefore ask* has not the promise of the 
Savioi; then failed ? No verily. We beseech you 
indulge in no such unworthy idea of the infinite Jesus. 
Check at once this propensity to lay the blame or the 
responsibility of a failure on him. You will surely see 
the reason in yourself; and even now he who is 
infallible in knowledge and truth, is saying to you, as 
he did to others, “ Ye ask and receive not because ye 
ask amiss.” It is not for the same reason, that you ask 
amiss; and yet so long as you fail, you are bound to 
believe that, in some particular, you “ask amiss.” For¬ 
get not how frail you are,—how imperfect are all human 
knowledge and judgment, and you will in all humility 
allow, that your consecration is imperfect, or your appro¬ 
priating faith too weak while the answer delays. But 
you will by no means hence be discouraged. Remembei 
it forever, that you have given yourself to God in holy 
covenant; and though he tarry, he will surely come. 
Keep your position, humble and self-abased at your 
Savior’s feet. Breathe in ceaseless urgency the prayer, 
“ Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly.” He will “ strengthen 
you ” for the conflict. He will exhibit to you, with 
clearer and clearer evidence, ’ the great and sufficient 
provision for all your wants; a provision present, and 
available for you now just as you are, and you will rise 
in the power of faith, and claim your purchased inheri¬ 
tance. 

We have thus discussed separately, the important 


25 £ THE CENTRAL IDEA 

steps, from profound conviction to triumphant faith in 
prayer, which we believe to be indispensable to a present 
realization of entire sanctification. We have seemed to 
detain the earnest seeker, when, at different points in 
this process, he has been quite ready to enter into the 
perfect rest of faith. But we trust this has been only 
in appearance. Nay, we would feign believe that many 
of our readers have anticipated us, and in the very act 
of consecration, have so prayed and believed as to 
receive the full assurance of entire salvation. Indeed, 
the points we have separately placed before our readers, 
are in immediate connection with each other; and, as 
we have before assumed, are sometimes so rapidly 
experimented as to annihilate all appreciable ideas of 
time. While we have occupied space with explanation 
and argumentative language, and the reader’s time in 
passing from one section to another, he has seen how 
intimate are the relations of these several topics, and 
how unavoidably our discussions of them have run into, 
and implied each other. The combined harmonious effect 
is the only object we have in view. Happy for the 
reader, if at any point in this investigation, he has been 
able to realize the present power of the Holy Ghost to 
cleanse from all unrighteousness. 

Aware, however, that some minds must move slower 
than others, we have hoped, by a more distinct presen¬ 
tation of the steps to be taken, to aid them in reaching 
the glorious result, they so earnestly seek. Happy 
shall we be, if even, one by one these steps have 
been taken, and thus deliberately, any have been 
brought into the clear enjoyment of perfect love. At 
least, allow us to believe that the one who now reads 


IN ITS COUNSELS. 


253 


is able, from a full heart, and upon the most reliable 
evidence,-to say, 


“ ’T is done, thou dost this moment save, 
With full salvation bless, 
Redemption in thy blood I have, 

And spotless love and peace.” 


SEC. VIII. THE EVIDENCE RECEIVED. 

A question of the utmost importance now presses 
itself upon our attention. How can it be known 
whether the work of sanctification is complete ? What 
is the evidence of the fact to the individual in whose 
soul it is wrought ? 

1. The witness of the Spirit. We lay it down as a 
general truth that all authoritative communications to 
the spirit of man come from God. Revelation is 
authoritative, because God is its author. “ Holy men 
of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” 
The great Source of all truth knew what the facts and 
principles were which were needed for a general and 
special revelation to the race; and he communicated 
them to holy men, to be written and disseminated. But 
revelation cannot settle a question of fact, in relation to 
the light in which God views us personally. He, alone, 
knows what is passing in his own infinite mind, and 
therefore, he alone can declare it. Hence, the position, 
that the Holy Ghost is the great truth-telling agent to 
the souls of men. Mark the promise of the Savior, 
“ If ye love me, keep my commandments; and I will 
pray the Father, and he shall give you another Com¬ 
forter, that he may abide with you forever; even the 
22 


254 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because 
it seeth him not, neither knoweth him; but ye know 
him; for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you.” 
Again; “ But when the Comforter is come, whom I will 
send unto you from the Father, even the spirit of truth, 
which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of 
me.” And again, “ When he, the spirit of truth, is come, 
he will guide you into all truth; for he shall not speak 
of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he 
speak; and he will show you things to come. He shall 
glorify me; for he shall receive of mine and show it 
unto you.” Notice also the language of St. Paul; 
<c But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even 
the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the world 
unto our glory; which none of the princes of this 
world knew; for, had they known it, they would not 
have crucified the Lord of glory. But as it is written, 
eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered 
into the heart of man, the things which God hath pre¬ 
pared for them that love him; but God hath revealed 
them unto us by his Spirit; for the Spirit searcheth all 
things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man 
knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man 
which is in him ? Even so the things of God knoweth 
no man, but the Spirit of God. Now, we have received, 
not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of 
God; that we might know the things that are freely 
given to us of God; which things also we speak, not 
in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which 
the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things 
with spiritual.” 

We have brought these very important passages 


IN ITS COUNSELS. 


255 


together that the reader may see the great strength of 
our main position, which is, that all our knowledge of 
divine things comes from God. We ask attention to the 
following particulars: 

(1.) We receive all our spiritual saving influences 
“from above, from the Father of lights.” We can 
neither produce nor deserve one of them. 

(2.) We cannot by our own natural intelligence know 
them as they exist in God, nor that they are for us, nor 
that we have met their conditions, nor what they are 
when we receive them. “ The Spirit of truth the world 
cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth 
him.” “We speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, 
even the hidden wisdom—which none of the princes of 
this world know.” “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, 
neither have entered into the heart of man, the things 
which God hath prepared for them that love him; ” 
“ for what man knoweth the things of a man, save the 
spirit of man which is in him ? ” What one individual 
can tell what is passing in the mind of another indi¬ 
vidual ? “ Even so the things of God knoweth no man, 

but the Spirit of God.” “ But the natural man receiveth 
not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are fool¬ 
ishness unto him; neither can he know them, because 
they are spiritually discerned.” Thus it is seen that 
our ignorance of divine things is real and total, arising 
out of actual, natural incapacity for independent spiritual 
knowledge. The reasons are given. This knowledge 
must relate to “the things of God,” which he alone 
can know, and “the natural man,” in his fallen state, 
is morally disqualified for discovering these elements of 
divine intelligence. “They are foolishness unto him, 


256 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


neither can he know them, because they are spiritually 
discerned.” Our ignorance relates to all that we have 
need to know or receive. 

(3.) The Holy Spirit has all this divine intelligence, 
and all these gracious influences which we need, and 
cannot furnish to ourselves. “ The Spirit searcheth all 
things, yea, the deep things of God.” “Even so the 
things of God knoweth.no man but the Spirit of God.” 
Here is the requisite intelligence; the omniscience 
of God. Evidently, therefore, should it please the 
Almighty, he can communicate to us exactly what we 
require. 

(4.) It is in the economy of grace that these necessary 
divine communications shall be actually made to us by 
the Holy Spirit. They are promised. “ Ye know him, 
for he dwelleth with you and shall he in you.” “ He 
shall testify of me.” “When he, the Spirit of truth, is 
come, he will guide you into all truth.” “He shall 
receive of mine and show it unto you.” Thus much 
then is clearly revealed. Knowledge of the divine 
mind in relation to us,—of the divine Spirit himself,— 
of all truth belonging to our sphere and included in 
our salvation,—of the things of Christ reserved for us, 
is possible to us, is provided for us, is promised to us; 
and the unimpeachable veracity of the witness is 
solemnly guaranteed in the fact of his asserted divinity, 
and the distinct emphasis with which he is repeatedly 
styled “the Spirit of truth.” 

(5.) We find it established that these divine commu¬ 
nications of grace and facts have been repeatedly made 
to men. The Holy Ghost has actually communicated 
personally to individual minds, all the stupendous truths 


IN ITS COUNSELS. 


257 


of divine revelation. To good men it has been said, 
and may now be said, “ Ye know him, for he dwelleth 
with you and shall be in you.” It is true that “Eye 
hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into 
the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared 
for them that love him, but God hath revealed them 
unto us.” “We have received, not the spirit of the 
world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might 
know the things that are freely given to us of God,” and 
when these things are thus divinely revealed to us we 
do not conceal them; “ which things also we speak, 
not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth; but 
which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual 
things with spiritual.” A divine testimony is borne to 
the soul, and thence to the church, of “ the things that 
are freely given to us of God; ” sometimes, as in the 
case of the apostles, including the higher revelations of 
authoritative teaching, to complete the sacred canon, and 
“ things to come,” for the miraculous ends of holy 
prophecy. 

(6.) When it is seen what vast comprehension, and yet 
what minute detail are included in the exclusive sphere 
of divine teaching, who can doubt that the method of 
attesting all that we are in relation to God, and all we 
receive from him, is here given? Indeed, nothing can 
be clearer than that all our knowledge of divine things 
comes from God;—that not a single just conviction, or 
the least reliable direct instruction upon any of these 
great questions can come from any other source. The 
sinner, as we have seen, must have the witness of the 
Spirit—the direct announcement of his guilt, or he will 
never know it. The act of pardon is purely the act of 
22 * 


258 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


God, and he alone can in the first instance testify to it. 
He only can tell when the faith of the penitent is such 
as to render the pardon righteous and safe. When he 
sees that all the particulars required, combine in the one 
act of faith, which claims the blessing of pardon for 
Christ’s sake alone, he, by his Holy Spirit, declares the 
fact, and the direct evidence of justification is very 
properly termed the witness of the Spirit. What, 
though no special scripture, in so many words, affirms 
this witness ? Its necessity is in the nature of the case, 
and the teaching we have given above from the sacred 
records, is sufficiently explicit. The Savior’s promise 
is redeemed to this penitent, believing soul; “ He shall 
take of the things of mine and show them unto you.” 
This pardon is one of “ the things freely given to him 
of God,” and he has received “ the Spirit which is of 
God,” that he might know it as he receives it. This is 
that spirit-voice, which first speaks to him, and says, it 
is done; your petition is granted; your sins are par¬ 
doned. It is a strange, sweet, inward persuasion that 
God for Christ’s sake has forgiven him all that is past. 
It is the witness of the Spirit to the justification of the 
believer. 

Inseparable from the act of pardon is the fact of adop¬ 
tion. This, too, is attested directly by the Holy Spirit. 
To genuine Christians at Rome, and in a manner that 
shows it applicable to all who are truly converted, St. 
Paul said, “ Ye have not received the spirit of bondage 
again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adop¬ 
tion whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself 
beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children 
of God.” In the epistle to the Galatians this delightful 


IN ITS COUNSELS. 


259 


truth is reaffirmed. “And because ye are sons, God 
hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, 
crying Abba, Father.” Now, let it be observed, this 
explicit statement is made in regard to adoption, not to 
take it out of the general law, but to show very expressly 
that it is included in that law;—not to exclude any or 
all other works of grace upon the soul, equally divine in 
origin and influence, but to aid gentile and other 
believers, in understanding the fact that their sonship 
was in no respect questionable. Aliens as they were 
from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from 
the covenant of promise, they were now brought nigh 
by the blood of Christ, and this glorious truth of sonship 
was not to be doubted, for it was officially attested by the 
Holy Spirit, as one important instance of the fulfilment 
of the wonderful promise, “When he, the Spirit of 
truth is come, he will guide you into all truth.” It is 
the witness of the Spirit to adoption to the sonship of 
the believer. 

Just as explicitly does the Spirit of truth bear witness 
to the fact that “the blood of Jesus Christ,” as the 
meritorious influence, “ cleanseth ■ from all sin.” But 
the importance of this position, and the fact that it has 
been questioned, will render it proper to pause for a 
while, and consider it. The reader will now see how 
clearly this truth is included in the facts incontestably 
settled in the above discussion. 

(1.) We receive all our spiritual saving influences from 
God; and, surely, this is a spiritual saving influence. 
None but divine power could cleanse the soul from all 
indwelling sin, and fill it with perfect love. The Holy 
Spirit is the efficient agent in the work of sanctification; 


260 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


“Elect according to tlie foreknowledge of God the 
Father through sanctification of the Spirit unto obedience 
and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ.” “Seeing 
ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth, through 
the Spirit, unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see 
that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently.” 
“ God hath, from the beginning, chosen you to salvation, 
[not unconditionally, but] through sanctification of the 
Spirit, and belief of the truth.” Let, then, this funda¬ 
mental truth, that the Holy Ghost alone sanctifieth the 
soul through the blood of Christ, be deeply impressed 
upon the mind of the reader. 

(2.) We cannot, of ourselves, know what this work is 
as God understands it. It is too high for our finite 
powers, and of course we cannot know that it is for us, 
only as he reveals it to us generally in his word, and 
personally by “the Spirit he hath given us.” We can¬ 
not, from any human intelligence, know when we have 
met the conditions of this grace. We wish to emphasize 
this remark. The greatest danger of delusion lies in 
the opposite position. Assuming that we are competent 
judges of our own mental states, in their relation to 
the claims of God, some have marvelled why the 
answer did not come at the moment expected, and 
perhaps, have yielded to the temptation to lay blame 
upon God, for the delay of the baptism of fire; or, 
perhaps assuming that the conditions were met, have 
claimed the accomplishment of the work, without 
further evidence than reliance upon their own assumed 
knowledge of the completeness of their consecration, and 
the perfection of their faith. This is fearful presump¬ 
tion. We may be accurate in our consciousness of any 


IN ITS COUNSELS. 


261 


given mental state, but whether or not, as a religious 
condition, it is complete in character, or adapted to its 
object, or, satisfactory to the omniscient God, no human 
mind is competent to judge. Nor should we without 
divine teaching know the work when wrought, so as to 
be at all safe in determining what it is, when really 
given us, or that the blessing we have received is entire 
sanctification. It is said the effects upon our own souls 
will reveal it, and render the direct testimony of the 
Spirit unnecessary. We answer the inward .effects of 
pardon and adoption are decisive, but, they by no means 
supersede the witness of the Spirit, which must precede 
and produce them. But it is claimed that the results in 
the life must show the work of sanctification complete. 
Certainly; but this is so of adoption. But here, in both 
cases, we anticipate the inferential proof; a matter that 
is not now under consideration. We are sure that no 
living man can assign a reason why that first inward 
persuasion that we are children of God, does not come 
from ourselves, which would not be exactly and equally 
applicable to the first powerful conviction that we are 
cleansed from all sin. 

(3.) But the Holy Ghost has all this infinite knowledge, 
which, from the nature of the case, we cannot have. “ The 
Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.” 
He knoweth the things of God, for he is God. What is 
the exact character of that gracious work which he 
proposes to accomplish for us, what are the precise con¬ 
ditions of that work, when they are exactly met, and 
when the work is accomplished, he knows and can 
declare it to us so that we can distinctly understand it. 
Let us forever, hereafter, accord this high prerogative to 


262 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


him and to him alone. Nothing is safer, nothing more 
certain; while we must feel that nothing is more peril¬ 
ous than to assume it for ourselves. 

(4.) The actual communication of the fact in this case, 
as well as others, is the order of God,—the method of 
his spiritual kingdom. Consider that the work is wrought 
by the Holy Spirit,—that he, in his divine intelligence, 
is present in the soul itself. “Ye know him, for he 
dwelleth with you, and shall be in you; ” and this is the 
reason why you shall know him in his true character 
and work. “ Hereby know we that we dwell in him 
and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.” 
Now mark ; the fact of his being present—of his work¬ 
ing in us, is a revealed explanation of the knowledge we 
have of our gracious privileges. It is thus that the 
evidence of adoption is explained, or, in other words, we 
have the witness of the Spirit to the fact because his 
influence and guidance have been received and acknowl¬ 
edged. “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, 
they are the sons of God, for ye have received the Spirit 
of adoption.” Here then is the law of this testimony. 
It must be borne by the author of the work. The Holy 
Ghost sanctifies the soul, therefore the Holy Ghost is the 
witness to the fact. Read the confirmation in the words 
of St. John. “ But ye have an unction from the Holy 
one, and ye know all things. I have not written unto 
you, because ye know not the truth, but because ye 
know it, and that no lie is of the truth.” Should any 
devout ones ask how it is that they are thus largely 
endowed with sacred knowledge, so that they are not to 
be misled with regard to the true character of Christ, 
how they have this clear, distinct witness of the work of 


IN ITS COUNSELS. 


263 


God in the soul, just as it is in all its degrees, inspi¬ 
ration answers; “ The anointing which ye have received 
of him abideth in you; and ye need not that any man 
teach you; but as the same anointing teacheth you of 
all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath 
taught you, ye shall abide in him.” Who now can 
doubt that the sanctifying Spirit dwelling within the 
believer has this sacred knowledge for him, and that to 
communicate it is in accordance with the divine plan ;— 
that it is promised to all, and actually affirmed of those 
who have received the special baptism of the Holy 
Ghost;—that it is not to one work of grace alone that 
the Spirit testifies, but to all which are ever wrought 
upon the soul. 

As surely as the Holy Ghost is our sanctifier,—as he 
and he alone knows the nature, conditions fulfilled, and 
the time of entire sanctification,—as the blessing of 
holiness is one of “the things of Christ,” which “he 
shall show unto us,”—as it is one of “ the things which 
God hath prepared for them that love him,”—as it is 
one of “the things that are freely given to us of God,” 
—as the Holy Ghost is “the Spirit of truth,” and as 
surely as all things which we know directly, officially, 
authoritatively, are from him, we may have satisfactory 
and reliable evidence that we are sanctified wholly, and 
that evidence must be the witness of the Spirit. 

2. The soul in which the work is wrought, recognizes 
and understands the divine testimony. It has been 
aware of a supernatural agency, operating, with silent 
power, to produce a state of perfect purity, and giving 
distinct assurance that the work is accomplished. 

There is no voice audible through. the outward ear. 


264 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


It is not the divine method, to teach ns by saying, as 
one man would say to another, your request is granted; 
the Holy Spirit now cleanses you from all inward 
depravity, and fills you with perfect love. We do not, 
it is true, deem this impossible; certainly, it would not 
be, if this were God’s preference. But as other methods 
of divine communication are his choice, it is doubtless 
presumption to expect this, and delusion to claim it. 

Nor, would we call the state of mind produced by the 
witness of the Spirit, an impression ; for there is much 
which is misleading in the doctrine of impressions. It 
is doubtless easy, and we think quite common, for minds 
of ardent temperament, to mistake their own impulses, 
or preferences, or even satanic influence, for the teachings 
of the Holy Spirit. Amid the tumult of passion, or the 
contentions of rival powers, there is great need of dis¬ 
criminating care, in judging of impressions. Both the 
caution and the test are given in divine revelation. 
“ Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits 
whether they are of God; because many false prophets 
are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the 
Spirit of God. Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus 
Christ is come in the flesh, is of God; and every spirit 
that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, 
is not of God.” In other words false teachers, in the 
very power of antichrist, will appear, professing to be 
under the influence of the Holy Spirit; but they will 
be practical rejecters of Christ; either denying him 
altogether, or denying his proper humanity, or true 
divinity. Reject such “ false prophets.” They are not 
of God; and in the same way there will be impressions 
made upon your minds, which are not in accordance 


IN ITS COUNSELS. 


265 


with the character, and teachings, and spirit of Christ. 
They will fill you with self-confidence, and so reject the 
merits of Christ;—with self-will, against the meekness, 
tenderness, and submissiveness of Christ;—with unholy 
self-love, against the melting love of Christ. Reject 
these spirits. They are not of God. They deny the 
incarnate Son. We know the Spirit of God by the 
direct opposite of all this. Its teachings are all abasing 
to man, but honoring to Christ. Against all visionary 
schemes of salvation, against all delusive impressions 
from adverse spirits, divine revelation is the only sure 
protection. To this the soul asking the right, must 
appeal and defer, and in its explicit directions there is 
perfect safety. 

We prefer, however, to speak of the mental state pro¬ 
duced by the witness of the Spirit, as a divine persua¬ 
sion or conviction of the truth communicated. And 
under the authority of revelation, to a mind suitably 
prepared, there is no necessity for mistake. When the 
conviction is thorough ; when the soul is humbled in 
the dust ,* when it is entirely consecrated, and breathes 
out its prayers for full salvation, in such faith as to 
secure the answer, divine teachings will surely be under¬ 
stood. With the witness that the work is accomplished 
will come the conviction that it is from God. The mind 
may be unaccustomed to nice distinctions ; the individ¬ 
ual may be utterly unable to tell you why he regards 
the state of his mind as a divine conviction, and yet he 
is so persuaded. God undertakes to make himself 
understood, and succeeds. There is a spirit-voice to a 
spirit-ear, and the communication is intelligible. In 
how many instances, have the uneducated received this 

23 


266 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


evidence from God, and been perfectly satisfied! The 
deaf and dumb have been taught of God with regard to 
their own spiritual state, and given every evidence of 
the correctness of their spiritual apprehensions. Savages 
but partially instructed, have been inwardly and power¬ 
fully persuaded that God has accepted them. Indeed, 
all true Christians are instances of the same supernatural 
conviction. When it had been out of the question for 
any of our friends to persuade us that we were pardoned 
or purified, though it was our most anxious desire to 
believe it, and theirs to have it so; just when no human 
power could produce the conviction, it was produced. 
When no argument could induce us to believe it, we did 
believe it. Thus, does the state of our own minds, in 
the recognition of the information communicated, attest 
the genuineness of the work. It is a delightful and 
decisive persuasion that the blood of Jesus Christ cleans- 
eth us from all sin. 

3 . The experimental results harmonize with the 
divine testimony. A peculiar simplicity and tenderness 
of spirit follow the accomplishment of this work. The 
complications of thought, and antagonisms of feeling, 
have not merely subsided, but been exchanged for a 
sweet and delightful harmony. All the powers of mind 
and heart have found unity in God, according precisely 
with the fact assumed, that they are voluntarily and 
Avholly his. A conscious sinking into God, has saved the 
soul from those annoying cares for self, and perplexing 
doubts of the future, which belong to a state of imper¬ 
fect sanctification. So it ought to be, and so it is. It is 
seen and felt that God reigns, and there is no concern 
for the stability of his government, or the security of 


IN ITS COUNSELS. 


267 


that which is committed to his care. The spirit which 
has long been agitated by rival forces, at last reposes 
entirely in the Redeemer, and finds perfect rest. 

The consecration which has been chiefly an act, is 
now in an important sense a state,—a condition of the 
soul to be permanent. Not that it can never be lost; for 
doubtless moral freedom is still an essential element of 
human character, and the frailty of the moral consti¬ 
tution as the results of sin, suggests both the danger of 
conquest from without, and the need of perpetual con¬ 
secration to the Redeemer; but it is still to be regarded 
as a determined and continuous fact; the soul sanctified 
wholly is a consecrated soul. This is conscious expe¬ 
rience. A few moments after the work is completed, a 
few months, or many years after, this devoted spirit 
understands that it is not its own—that it must think, 
and feel, and act for God. Should the tempter gain the 
mastery, and self lise up and again, by the consent or 
negligence of the soul, assert its sway, then this state of 
entire consecration would be lost, and with it the evi¬ 
dence of perfect love. 

In this sacred state there is no longer a feeling of 
distance from the blood of atonement. It is present 
and availing ; and, at every moment, it saves to the 
uttermost. It does this because the faith that reposes 
upon it, is living and implicit. It is an act, an exercise 
to be sure, but it is a state,—a condition of the living 
spirit, which keeps it in holy union with the living 
Christ. Hence there is faith,—a felt, triumphant, holy 
power of faith, in darkness and light, in prosperity and 
adversity, amid friends and foes, in life or death, which 
explains the conscious triumphs of the soul in prayer. 


268 


THE CENTRAL IDEA. 


the amazing energy of Christian effort, the humble 
heroism with which perils are braved, and the unnatural 
fortitude with which sufferings are endured. 

A consciousness of purity is one of the desirable, 
experimental results of a completion of this work. We 
mean not the mere negative fact that no corrupt desires, 
no unholy motives are felt within at a particular time; 
but the feeling of purity itself; deeper, richer, fuller, 
than before. As the soul bathes in the ocean of redemp¬ 
tion, as it lies humbled at the foot of the cross, as it 
meekly kisses the rod with which it is afflicted, as it 
stands firm against the shock of temptation, as it recog¬ 
nizes the presence and indwelling power of the Holy 
Ghost, it feels that it lives in purity. 

And there is a fulness of love—a perfectness of 
delight in God, and his holy ways, which no language 
can describe. Love is steadier, stronger, and more per¬ 
vading than formerly. Such is the depth of holy devo¬ 
tion to God and M 3 cause, and such is the sense of 
security in Christ which it gives, that it may well be 
styled perfect love, which casteth out fear; and its 
increase is to mark the genuineness of its character. 
The soul which now loves with all its power, will be 
stronger and larger to-morrow, and will hence love more. 
It will, if faithful, increase perpetually in its power to 
love, and in the holy exercise of its devoted affections, 
pervading the intellect and controlling the whole man, 
and thus realizing the prayer of the great apostle ; “And 
this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and 
more in knowledge, and in all judgment; that ye 
may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be 
sincere and without offence till the day of Christ; being 


IN ITS COUNSELS. 


269 


filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus 
Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.” This is 
the experience which the soul realizes in entire sancti¬ 
fication ; feeling it, and giving it humble expression in 
the life, “to the glory and praise of God;” by no 
means to his own glory, for he is filled with a humility 
that sets up no claims for self, but all for his Master,— 
a humility that you can mark in the cast of his counte¬ 
nance, in the propriety of his words, in the tone of his 
voice, and in all his bearing toward his fellow men. 

Finally, there is pure, rich and exalted happiness, in 
this state. It is not generally tumultuous. It is not 
likely to be overwhelming, but sure to be deep and com¬ 
paratively steady. It is the calm repose of unwavering 
faith—of perfect love, and of “ hope that is an anchor to 
the soul, both sure and steadfast.” It will not be always 
the same in degree. It is liable to abatement in time 
of severe trials. It may be interrupted by “ heaviness 
through manifold temptations.” It may be varied by 
the state of the body, especially of the nervous system, 
and by the sufferings and death of friends. It may be 
increased under the action of special means of grace, 
and by special baptisms of the Holy Ghost, so that with 
the psalmist the completely saved will exclaim “ Bless 
the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me bless his 
holy name. Bless the Lord, 0 my soul, and forget not 
all his benefits ; who forgiveth all thine iniquities ; who 
healeth all thy diseases; who redeemeth thy life from 
destruction; who crowneth thee with loving-kindness 
and tender mercies.” 

But, independent of all these variations, it is a state 
of happiness which arises from constant union with God; 

23 * 


270 


THE CENTUAL IDEA 


which is too deep to be permanently or seriously affected 
by any contingencies, apart from unbelief; and which 
increases with the enlargement of the soul, and with 
every trial it endures. Inspired words shall again 
express this delightful experience. “ The Lord is my 
shepherd ; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down 
in green pastures. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth 
me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow 
of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me ; thy 
rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a 
table before me in the presence of mine enemies; thou 
anointest my head with oil ; my cup runneth over. 
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days 
of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord 
forever.” 

4. Reason will sustain the divine testimony. To 
reason ourselves into the belief that we are wholly sanc¬ 
tified, in the absence of this witness, would he perilous. 
We should surely he misled. It must moreover be 
expressly stated, that all reasoning is to he held subor¬ 
dinate to the authority of revelation. But there is much 
inferential proof, which ought to be carefully noted in 
this stage of religious experience. 

You may argue, from the absence of sinful passions 
and propensities, with which you have had to contend 
in your previous state. You know these passions and 
propensities well. You have felt the risings of anger, 
of pride, of ambition, of lust; are they gone now ? 
Have you noticed that the same temptations to these 
rising desires which formerly brought them into action, 
fail to do it now ? In their place do you feel only love. 


IN ITS COUNSELS. 


211 


humility, purity ? This, then, is as it ought to be ; as it 
surely would be, if the work of sanctification were 
completed. 

You may argue from a comparison of your feelings 
with the word of God. You notice the commandment, 
“ Love not the world, nor the things that are in the 
world.” Do you find no love of the world, nor of the 
things that are in the world, in your heart ? It is well. 
So it ought to be if you are sanctified wholly. “ Set 
your affection on things above; ” are your affections placed 
on things above ? “ Rejoice evermore, pray without ceas¬ 
ing, and in eveiy thing give thanks.” Do you do this? 
This is one of the inspired tests. “ Ye are dead, and 
your life is hid with Christ in God.” Are you dead to 
sin, not legally, but really, in your moral being, in your 
feelings, in your affections, in you life ? Is your “ life 
hid with Christ in God ? ” But, “ grow in grace and in 
the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” 
Have you the inward evidence of this growth? Can 
you see, from day to day, since you felt the evidence of 
being cleansed Rom all sin, that you are advancing,— 
that you are rising higher in the divine life ? So it 
ought to/be, if you are living in a state of entire sancti¬ 
fication. 

Finally, you may argue, from the moral power of the 
Christian life within you. Do you find that it is evident, 
that it is steady, vigorous, and controlling ? That it has 
utterly subordinated the natural life, and that you can say 
in candor, from the very centre of your being, “ I live, 
nevertheless not I, but Christ liveth in me, and the life 
that I now live is by the faith of the Son of God ? ” 
Do you perceive that you are, in your intercourse with 


27 £ THE CENTRAL IDEA 

men, meekly and unobtrusively, but firmly and success¬ 
fully, in an humble degree, representing Christ in the 
power of his love, so that your prayers, your pious con¬ 
versation, and personal influence, are strongly felt against 
sin, and in favor of holiness ? Are you really, from the 
known preference of your soul, and out of pure love to 
God, “ ready to every good word and work ? ” So it 
ought to be in this holy state. 

Let us then say, if you have the true witness of the 
Spirit that you are cleansed from all sin, it is so; for he 
can only guide you into truth. If your own spirit, act¬ 
ing and feeling, and judging, in accordance with the 
word of God, detects this divine testimony, you are 
surely right in claiming the blessing; and if you have 
judged correctly that this inward conviction of the work 
wrought, is from the Holy Spirit, then, as we humbly 
believe, you have felt this peculiar simplicity and 
harmony within; this oneness with Christ, this sinking 
down into God, and this perfect rest which we have 
attempted to describe. You now find yourself a conse¬ 
crated man, not merely as you remember it, and by a 
special volition, make the offering anew, though this you 
will do, in all your humble, fervent breathings of prayer 
to God ; but as a settled, felt, recognized, perpetual 
reality, you feel yourself to be wholly the Lord’s, 
and the very thought of living to self gives you pain, 
and is banished at once as an obtrusive temptation. You 
feel the power of the cleansing blood, and fully believe 
that the Savior’s infinite merits are yours. Your faith 
commands the realization of the divine promises, so inti¬ 
mately near, and unchangeably true is he of whom 
you ask and receive. You are conscious of a feeling of 


IN ITS COUNSELS. 


273 


purity pervading the whole soul. You love the Lord 
your God with all your heart, and do not feel the risings 
of affection for rival objects, which seek to charm you 
• away from him. The love you bear to your families and 
friends, to the church of God, and to guilty sinners is 
purer, stronger than before, because it is in harmony 
with the will of God, and all for Christ’s sake. Your 
humility, meekness, and gentleness of spirit, are the 
result of no effort, but they are your actual condition, 
and send out their streams from a purified fountain. 
Your sweet and sacred happiness, includes your whole 
being. You rejoice with unspeakable comfort, to find 
that the unholy passions which have formerly troubled 
and grieved you are gone. You find, upon comparison 
with the word of God, that in Christ, and through his 
merits alone, your state of mind and heart corresponds 
with the divine delineations of the image of God upon 
the soul. You feel the power of an inner life, that is 
pure and healthy, and growing in its own vital elements, 
and comes directly from God. Is all this true ? Did 
you really feel it to be so when the answer came to your 
beseeching prevailing prayer ? Do you find it to be so, 
now that time has elapsed since this holy triumph, suffi¬ 
cient for thorough self-examination, and careful search¬ 
ing of the word of God ? Then “ Cast not away your 
confidence which hath great recompense of reward.” 
“ Let no man take your crown.” With these evidences, 
to doubt for a moment, would he surely wrong,—would 
he ingratitude, and if not corrected, would lead to the 
hidings of the divine countenance. Most solemnly would 
we charge you, “ Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, 
whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.” 


&74 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


SEC. IX. THE RESPONSIBILITY TAKEN 

Have you now the evidence of your entire sanctifica¬ 
tion? Shrink not from the responsibility which this 
excellent grace implies. There is soundness in the posi¬ 
tion, that responsibility is always equal to privilege, 
and your privileges are great. You have received the 
special tokens of the Savior’s love, and you are now 
required to return gratitude to the extent of your 
ability. Doubtless the most appropriate expression of 
gratitude which you can make, will be the faithful pres¬ 
ervation of the grace you have received. This can 
only be done by a living faith in Christ, keeping you in 
perpetual union with the source of your purity and 
love. 

But faith is an energetic, working power, and it is 
assumed that you are willing to do your duty. What¬ 
ever is the pleasure of your Lord is most delightful to 
you, and your “ works ” of holy devotion to God, of 
Christian benevolence, will correspond with the solemn 
acts of consecration, and trust in “ the blood of Jesus,” 
which have given you this valuable experience. 

You would, however, greatly err were you to suppose 
that this responsibility is to be unpleasant to you,—that 
you have entered upon a life of unnatural restraint,— 
shut up to uncomfortable exactness, and forced sanctity. 
It would be difficult, more directly to misrepresent this 
high state of grace than by such an assumption. It is, 
on the contrary, the very home of the soul, the rest of 
perfect satisfaction with all that is truly right. It is 
true there will be a lively sense of the divine presence. 


IN ITS COUNSELS. 


275 


a quick apprehension of duty, a godly jealousy for the 
honor of Christ, and an earnest longing for greater 
heights of love, and deeper baptisms of the Holy Ghost. 
The burden of souls may be greater than before, and 
you will feel that you cannot Jbe satisfied without wit¬ 
nessing the cleansing of the church, and the onward 
victorious march of Zion. But all this will be in your 
chosen way of duty. Your soul is adjusted to it, and 
you will find it your holiest delight to suffer and to do 
the will of God. “ The just shall live by faith.” You 
will be shut up to the present. The past will have no 
power to annoy you, for it is all atoned in the blood of 
Christ, which is your salvation. The future is to give 
you no concern, for it is not yours. You may never 
meet the cares and trials which your mind would natu¬ 
rally suggest. You may be in heaven before the day of 
tribulation comes; and, if not, your safety is with him 
to whom you have committed your all. He will cover 
you with his hand “ until the indignation be overpast.” 
For all the future, you are to trust in God without 
wavering. And how is life thus simplified ? Am I now 
wholly the Lord’s ? Not, was I at some former time ? 
Not, shall I be next year, next week, next moment, but 
now is it all right ? Would that all Christians could 
obtain the power to live by the moment. It reduces 
indefinietly the concern of the soul, makes every thing 
a present passing reality, and secures the practicability 
of perfect contentment. It is easy to examine the pres¬ 
ent,—to settle the question of gracious acceptance now ; 
but impossible to decide the future, only by the faith that 
determines the present. Am I now glorifying God in 
my body and spirit which are his ? Am I now doing 


276 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


his will ? Does the blood of Jesus now cleanse me 
from all sin ? Then it is all well. I have no other 
concern. As each succeeding moment of the future 
comes, it will be a present moment, and disposable in 
the same way. Here at# least the wholly sanctified must 
rest; and this is the method of adjusting the question 
of responsibility. To ask what it will be, and shrink 
from its future demands, wall be to involve the soul in 
doubt, and it may be inextricable difficulty. It is true 
the purest Christian has a future; but it is the future 
of faith, of hope, of divine revelation, and not of anx¬ 
iety. The plans of a sound discretion in the light of 
the present and the past must extend into the future. 
A prudent foresight belongs eminently to faith, but it is 
the exercise of confidence and submission. (( Thy 
will be done,” is the clearest expression of choice and 
purpose. Surely this is not a responsibility to be 
dreaded. There is much more that is fearful and peri¬ 
lous in the responsibility of living without holiness. 

It is time, however, to remark that you cannot appear 
before the church and the world in precisely the same 
character as before this work was accomplished. To 
know that a great and glorious change has taken place, 
and yet, willingly to make the impression that there is 
no change ;—to know by the tests which revelation fur¬ 
nishes, that you are sanctified wholly, and yet desire 
others to think you are sanctified but in part, would be 
an inconsistency, not to say a guilty duplicity, which 
must destroy your confidence and sacrifice your position. 
We have thus reached the question of profession, which 
we propose to discuss in the plainest and most practical 
way. 


IN ITS COUNSELS. 


m 

1. Is it the duty of the wholly sanctified to acknowl¬ 
edge it? We answer affirmatively; and we place it 
upon the broad ground of truth. If any man “ speak- 
eth the truth in his heart/’ it is surely the man who is 
“ cleansed from all unrighteousness.” He is the very 
soul of truth. There is nothing in him that he has 
reason to conceal. He is all “ light in the Lord; ” and 
the sincerity of his consecrated spirit is like the bright 
shining of the sun. Perfect transparency of character 
has been reached, and must be maintained by the full 
application of the blood of Christ; but it would surely 
be sacrificed by a misrepresentation of the facts, or by 
entertaining a desire to conceal them. A profession of 
religion is the acknowledged duty of all true Chris¬ 
tians; but what is to be the profession made? We* 
answer, the truth, just as we understand it to be. He 
who undertakes to narrate experience must tell what he 
has experienced. He who mentions the work of Christ 
must tell what he has done. If the declarative glory 
of Christ depends upon what he has done, the more he 
has accomplished the more we have to tell, and the 
more he is glorified. If he has pardoned our sins, 
regenerated our natures, and adopted us as his children, 
we have so much to tell. With the psalmist we may say, 
“ He hath not dealt with us after our sins ; nor reward¬ 
ed us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is 
high above the earth, so great is his mercy towards them 
that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far 
hath he removed our transgressions from us.” “1 
waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto 
me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of 
an horrible pit; out of the miry clay, and set my feet 

24 


278 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


upon a rock, and established my goings. And he hath 
put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God, 
many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the 
Lord.” And if the blessing should be greater, should 
we on that account shut it up in our own hearts, and 
allow no man to know it ? or is there, anywhere in the 
Bible, an intimation that the work of God in the soul 
may be confessed up to a particular point, say of justifi¬ 
cation, and sanctification commenced, and that all beyond 
that is to be unacknowledged ? We are sure not; for 
the more accomplished by rich and abounding grace, the 
more there is to be acknowledged, and, if possible, the 
greater the obligation to acknowledge it. 

The psalmist, in his triumphant joy, said, “ Come and 
.hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he 
hath done for my soul. I cried unto him with my 
mouth, and he was extolled with my tongue. If I 
regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me. 
But verily, God hath heard me ; he hath attended to the 
voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, which hath not 
turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me.” Here 
is exactly our position. “ I will declare what he hath 
done for my soul; ” whatever it is, just as I have 
received it. I want you to know it, the whole of it. 
“ Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare 
what he hath done for my soul.” He had been “ in 
trouble,” and had made solemn vows. He engaged in 
a struggle of prayer, and obtained the victory. Had he 
“ regarded [seen or approved] iniquity in his heart, the 
Lord would not have heard him,” but the unmistakable 
answer, and the glorious deliverance, proved his sin¬ 
cerity in the utter renunciation and abandonment of all 


IN ITS COUNSELS. 


279 


inward sin. He would now keep nothing to himself in 
the matter. The grace he had received was too rich, 
too full, to-be shut up in his own heart. Indeed, he 
would not even make a selection of witnesses from the 
church to hear his testimony; “ Come and hear, all ye 
that fear God.” To us it would seem that this was no 
ordinary state of grace, not the first initiatory experience 
of his renewed nature. There is too distinct a renun¬ 
ciation of heart-iniquity,—too intelligent and discrim¬ 
inating a struggle for deliverance, and too obvious a 
fulfilment of former pious vows, for such a construction. 
But whatever the Lord had done for his soul he pro¬ 
posed to declare. Who could doubt that, had it been 
more, his struggling gratitude would have sought to tell 
it, to all them that “ fear God ? ” 

Our Savior has endorsed the principle very distinctly. 
To one who had been saved from the power of an 
evil spirit, he said “ Go home to thy friends, and tell 
them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and 
had compassion on thee. And he depa^ed, and began 
to publish in Decapolis, how great things Jesus had 
done for him. And all men did marvel.” Great things 
indeed, the Lord had done for him, but had they 
been greater, must they therefore have been 'withheld? 
It is unreasonable. So much the more would the hum¬ 
ble and hearty profession have been required. 

As a part of an inspired argument, it is said, “ That 
if thou shalt confess with thy mouth, the Lord 
Jesus, and shalt believe in thy heart that God hath 
raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For, 
with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and 
with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation.” 


280 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


And what is that confession of Christ? Evidently 
acknowledging him in his true character and work. If 
the blood of Jesus cleanseth us from all sin, can w r e 
truly and properly confess him, without acknowledging 
the whole truth ? It would be to confess him in part,— 
to own a part of -what he had done, but practically to 
deny the rest, and so far to deny Christ,—to deny the 
richest manifestation of his power and grace,—to accord 
to him a part of what is due, and withhold from him 
the rest. Is this the method of a true and faithful wit¬ 
ness ? It is perilous to withhold a just, an humble, and 
candid acknowledgment of Christ. He does nothing 
of which he is ashamed, which he would wish to have 
concealed, which he has authorized us to conceal. In 
the truest, fullest sense, as the most correct acknowledg¬ 
ment of his power to save, and his gracious act in 
saving, we must confess him. ff Whosoever, therefore, 
shall confess me before men, him will I confess also 
before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever 
shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before 
my Father which is in heaven.” We cannot be mis¬ 
taken in asserting the danger at this point. It is true 
that we can conceive of states of mind, arising from 
erroneous or defective Christian education, and perhaps, 
from constitutional timidity, in which an honest fear of 
the responsibility of profession, might lead to delay, to 
the invention of excuses for delay, to the expression of 
less than the truth, or of the truth in such methods as 
to reveal the trembling and shrinking of spirit, which 
Jesus seeks to remedy, 'without such guilty denial of 
Christ as will lead him to deny us. But it would seem 
to be inevitable, that the experience must soon be 


IN ITS COUNSELS. 


281 


reduced to the measure of confession; and the tendency 
to go beyond the line of excusable diffidence, and true 
distrust of ourselves, into the sphere of shame, and 
distrust of Christ, is so strong, as to require the most 
affectionate and thorough admonition. 

The reasons for insisting upon a candid and thankful 
expression of what the Lord has done for us are very 
evident. “ Many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust 
in the Lord.” How important the effect to be pro¬ 
duced ; how salutary the lessons of instruction which 
are to be learned, from the faithful exhibition of the 
work of God upon the soul! The awakening of sinners, 
the sanctification of believers are before us, to induce us 
to reveal the truth. “ Many shall see it, and shall trust 
in the Lord.” The humble will rejoice in the faithful 
testimony of the triumphant believer. “ I will bless the 
Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my 
mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord; 
the humble shall hear thereof and be glad. O, magnify 
the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together. 
I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me 
from all my fears.” How refreshing and instructive 
this holy triumph of a man of God. How well calcu¬ 
lated to rouse the souls of the church, and inspire the 
desponding with the hope of victory. Had this noble 
testimony been suppressed, how much would have been 
lost to the devout and inquiring, for the lapse of 
advancing centuries, to the end of time. And who 
would now consent to exchange it for the timid, doubt¬ 
ing, conjectural professions so frequent in modern times ? 
Let us also read again with profound reflection, the 
triumphant testimony of St. Paul. “ I am now ready 

24 * 


'282 THE CENTRAL IDEA 

to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. 
I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, 
I have kept the faith; henceforth there is laid up for 
me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the 
righteous Judge, shall give me at that day ; and not to 
me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.” 
Who of us would have this testimony erased from the 
sacred record, and anything else inserted in its place ? 

But why should the argument be further extended ? 
The whole system of Christianity is a system of trans¬ 
parent honesty,—of charming candor and simplicity; 
giving the clearest possible exhibitions of truth in the 
abstract and in the concrete, truth in principle, and in 
fact, and giving special prominence to experience, which 
becomes not objectionable and dangerous, requiring con¬ 
cealment, in proportion to its depth and purity; but 
increases in its subduing, saving power, as it approaches 
the elevated standard of the gospel. The whole genius 
of the Christian system, in the aspects now under con¬ 
sideration, is beautifully and powerfully expressed by the 
Savior. He addressed his own disciples in a way to guard 
them forever against the delusions of monasticism, the 
follies of the Essenes among the Jews, and the Gnostics 
among pagan philosophers. They dreamed of superior 
sanctity in retirement. They taught the greatest possible 
seclusion from men, and the silence of practical Quietism, 
as known in after times. But he said, “ Ye are the light 
of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. 
Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a 
bushel, but on a candlestick: and it giveth light unto 
all in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that 
they may see your good works, and glorify your Father 


IN ITS COUNSELS. 


283 


which is in heaven.” No concealment here. The 
clearest, possible exhibition of the light of God in the 
soul, is due from us, as an expression of gratitude,—-is 
required for the salvation of men, and the glory of God ; 
and just in proportion as our light is less than it ought to 
be, or by any means obscured, or shut in from the view 
of men, we fail to promote these exalted purposes. 

And let it not be insisted that the words of our lips have 
no part in this grand exhibition of God, for the illumina¬ 
tion of the world. The royal psalmist shall again instruct 
us. “ Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and 
his greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall 
praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy 
mighty acts. I will speak of the glorious honor of thy 
majesty, and of thy wondrous works. And men shall 
speak of the might of thy terrible acts; and I will 
declare thy greatness. They shall abundantly utter the 
memory of thy great goodness, and shall sing of thy 
righteousness. The Lord is gracious, and full of com¬ 
passion ; slow to anger; and of great mercy. The Lord 
is good to all, and his tender mercies are over all his 
works. All thy works shall praise thee, O Lord ; and 
thy saints shall bless thee. They shall speak of the 
glory of thy kingdom; and talk of thy power ; to make 
known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the 
glorious majesty of thy kingdom.” Here is the reign of 
God, the theme of triumph and praise, upon the part 
of the author of this incomparable hymn, to be taken up 
by other men, and uttered for the instruction of the age, 
and of generations to come. The works of God are 
called in to join the glad acclaim, and finally all the 
saints shall praise and bless him, shall speak of the 


284 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


glory of his kingdom, and talk of his power. Splendid 
manifestations of God in the natural world are here the 
themes of devout recognition, the wonders of his Provi¬ 
dence in behalf of his people are remembered, and the 
reign of mercy in the salvation of men in all coming 
time, becomes the theme of pious exultation. But 
notice especially, these things are to be devoutly spoken 
by all the saints; and let it not be said that this is 
merely the eulogium of contemplative minds, in view 
of the outward splendors of Jehovah’s kingdom. These 
are heart-utterances from the highest spiritual appre¬ 
hensions of God. So profoundly penetrated, it is 
assumed, the saints will be, with divine and saving 
influences, as that they shall recognize God in every 
thing. And then so holy and thrilling are the joys 
within, that they are to be expressed heartily by the lips. 
Who could wish to suppress the exultations of the 
psalmist, when he felt the power of God’s kingdom 
within, and, looking out, saw its glory in the universe ? 
It is useless to attempt it. He asks no man’s permission; 
he makes no attempt at apology. “ I will speak of the 
glorious honor of thy majesty and of thy wondrous 
works.” Nor he alone. Other “ men shall speak of 
the might of thy terrible actsand, after recognizing 
the terrible majesty and greatness of God, “they shall 
abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness.” 
What, but this, do we claim as the duty, and the 
privilege of Christians ? Let the purest and the best 
say, I will “ speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and 
talk of thy power; to make known to the sons of men 
his mighty acts, aud the glorious majesty of thy 
kingdom.” 


IN ITS COUNSELS. 


285 


It mayiibe said there is no evidence that either of the 
inspired authors quoted, professed or intended to profess, 
the blessing of holiness. We think differently ; but this 
question we have not attempted to settle. The language 
used is rich, and full, and triumphant, just as it ought 
to be, in a state of complete salvation, and in the highest 
spiritual exercises. The strong assurance of the dying 
Paul is the assurance we mean in a full preparation for 
heaven. But the argument is this. The experimental 
power of divine grace, in all its processes and degrees, 
should be clearly manifested, for the glory of God, and 
the good of others. It is to be uttered freely, humbly, 
and fully, in words. The extent and power of the 
experience are to be the measure of its expression, so far 
as words can represent the glory of the divine kingdom 
within. Simple truth is the basis of the whole, and the 
greater the truth the more delightful and influential its 
utterance. This cannot be questioned, and it sustains 
our position with the force of positive demonstration. 

But it will be said, many who make profession of 
entire sanctification, show by their lives that they do 
not possess it. Let it, therefore, be observed that we are 
advocating the utterance of truth, not of falsehood. We 
refer to the test we have given in the preceding section. 
Those who have these evidences of the blessing, are the 
ones who have testimony to give, that the blood of Jesus 
Christ cleanseth from all sin. With the objector, we 
would say, let no man speak confidently, only so far as 
his confidence is sustained by the Bible ; and we trust 
he will join with us to say, if the Christian is truly, 
and entirely consecrated, if he has received the cleans- 
sing power of the Holy Ghost, and has verily the testi- 


286 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


mony of the Spirit to the fact that he is ^wholly the 
Lord’s ; if his soul is subdued, and sweetly saved from 
inward depravity, and powerfully filled with complete 
humility and perfect love, let him speak of it, to the 
glory of God and for the benefit of the church ; for the 
richness and greatness of the blessing, does not consti¬ 
tute a reason for concealing it, but urges with overwhel¬ 
ming force its candid full confession. Does my reader 
say this ? thus we are happily agreed, and will hence¬ 
forth speak a common language. 

We have not introduced the usual argument from the 
experience and counsel of holy men and women, who, 
from the humblest to the loftiest ranks of society, have 
been found with melted hearts, and in strongest confi¬ 
dence proclaiming the fact that they were indeed sanc¬ 
tified wholly ; who have with the utmost tenderness and 
fidelity admonished us that we shall grieve the Holy 
Spirit if we refuse to acknowledge his work,—that many 
have lost the witness of perfect love, by failing to confess it. 
There is logical force in this testimony, and though we 
have given prominence to the argument from Scripture, 
we ought to entreat our readers to accept, in true humil¬ 
ity, of the warnings and advice of those who have been 
honored of God and man, for the depth of their expe¬ 
rience, and the wisdom of their teachings. 

2. Under what circumstances should holiness be pro¬ 
fessed? No state of religion sets aside a sound discre¬ 
tion. When the nature of the case required it, Jesus 
said to the objects of his miracles, “ See thou tell no 
man.” He bade his own disciples “ Cast not your 
pearls before swine,” intimating a wise discrimination 
with respect to circumstances and hearers. Paul did 


IN ITS COUNSELS. 


287 


not say, on all occasions, “ I am ready to be offered.” 
David said, “ I will keep my mouth with a bridle while 
the wicked is before me.” Not that he would be care¬ 
ful to speak only the truth in the presence of wicked 
men ; for this he would do before the righteous. But he 
would speak prudently,—he would utter nothing when 
the wicked were before him, that they would be likely 
to misunderstand or misrepresent to others. It may be 
said that, in their ordinary state, wicked men and even 
Christians, are unprepared to receive the full testimony 
of the wholly sanctified. It would not unlikely repel 
rather than subdue, or encourage them in goodness. 
Under such circumstances it would appear to us to be 
indiscreet to bring forward this testimony. It may seem 
to be mentioned gratuitously, as if to tax or challenge 
the faith which can hardly be assumed to exist. But 
under the manifest influence of the Holy Spirit when 
all present, whether saint or sinner, are fixed in atten¬ 
tion, melted in tenderness, and are listening confidingly 
to what the good man will say as to the power of 
grace, this testimony humbly and truthfully given, will 
move the hearts of others as nothing else can. We 
have seen even multitudes swayed and dissolved, and 
sinners awakened under its influence, as if the breath of 
God were in it. The state as well as the character of 
an audience may be regarded as an important question, 
when we would decide whether this evidence is demand¬ 
ed or not; and it is obvious that the character, position, 
and spiritual condition, of the witness, is fundamental 
to the question. Much more may be safely said by one 
of tried and undoubted integrity, of marked humility, 
of known transparent candor, of sound discretion, and 


288 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


whose perfect love is glowing under the divine influence, 
than by those who are without these peculiar advan¬ 
tages, though really saved from all sin. It will hence 
appear that sound counsel is against the indiscriminate 
announcement of this experience, in mixed assemblies, 
and under ordinary circumstances. 

In proportion, however, as the audience is select, and 
imbued with the spirit of Christ, will be the probability 
of being understood, and of exerting a useful influence, 
upon other minds, by the full expression of the joys of a 
full soul. In close communion with a confidential 
friend, or an honestly inquiring mind, in the select 
prayer or class, or conference meeting, and the melting 
love-feast, your richest experience will have place, and 
will honor the Savior of a faithful witness! O what 
holy joy, what adoring gratitude, what longings after 
God, what victories of faith, mingle with such unre¬ 
strained and deep communings of soul. How much 
they are needed in the church of the present, to inspire 
and elevate the humble but fainting, and fearful. God 
is with us for this very purpose; “ for thus saith 

the high and lofty one that inhabiteth eternity, whose 
name is holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with 
him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to 
revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart 
of the contrite ones.” 

But especially must we mention, among the circum¬ 
stances under which profession of holiness is made, 
sure and sufficient reasons for believing that we are now 
in that state. To make this profession, because we have 
once professed the blessing, because we have made it 
before, and have this reputation to maintain, or as a 


IN ITS COUNSELS. 


289 


habit, and matter of course, must be highly dangerous, 
must indeed lead to fearful presumption, and condem¬ 
nation. Much careful self-examination,—much humble 
prayer, and the inward witness of the Holy Spirit 
clearly uttered, should precede and accompany this high 
profession. We mean not that we should make this pre¬ 
paration in the spirit of unbelief, and thus invite the 
triumph of our enemy ; but in humble sincerity, and in 
holy conquering faith, we should clearly ascertain the 
facts before we mention what they are. A quiet, con¬ 
stant resting in God, will make this easy; may, even 
prepare you at any time, after a moment’s attention to 
your inward consciousness and the divine teaching, to 
say with living confidence, the blood of Jesus cleanseth 
now from all sin. But if you have been unfaithful, 
if you have given occasion to honest minds to doubt 
your purity, or spiritual power, beware how you sud¬ 
denly resolve to claim this exalted state. There is dan¬ 
ger to the cause, there is danger to the church in such 
inconsiderate rashness. May heaven save you from it; 
and especially may you be spared the necessity of doubt 
which such unfaithfulness originates. 

3. How shall this profession be made ? There is an 
important sense in which the life is to bear testimony to 
the state of the heart. The Savior was distinguished 
for the profession of action. “ The works which the F ather 
hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear 
witness of me, that the Father hath sent me.” In this 
let him be our model. St. James makes a distinct 
announcement of this principle. “ I will show you my 
faith by my works.” And no mode of profession can 
supersede this. The whole life must be in harmony 

25 


290 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


with the state of purity and love supposed. It is a tell¬ 
ing profession, to show everywhere, amidst all the pro¬ 
vocations of a fallen state, an eye single to the glory of 
God; the deadness to the world that a full consecration 
implies ; the calmness of a faith that never wavers ; a 
religious power that connects your breathing devotions 
with the throne of God; a purity that rebukes “ the lust 
of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of 
life,” and reveals in all their fulness “ the fruits of the 
Spirit,—love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, 
goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.” Nothing can 
resist the power of such profession, and we wish to givs 
it prominence here. But the words of our lips, as W6 
have seen, must utter the experience of the soul ; “ for 
out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. 
A good man, out of the good treasure of the heart, bring- 
forth good things: and an evil man, out of the evil 
treasure, bringeth forth evil things. But I say unto 
you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they 
shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For 
by thy words thou shall be justified, and by thy words 
thou thalt be condemned.” Mark hence, that the words 
are evidence of the state of the heart. “If any man 
offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able 
also to bridle the whole body.” But besides, how 
emphatically is it stated that “ out of the abundance of 
the heart the mouth speaketh! ” speaketh undoubtedly, 
of what is in the heart; and how if the heart abounds,— 
is filled to overflowing with “ perfect love,” can the 
mouth fail, in some way to express it. It is precisely 
thus that “ the good man, out of the good treasure of his 
heart, bringeth forth good things.” 


IN ITS COUNSELS. 


291 


The language of profession is safest when nearest the 
language of the Bible. The very “ words which the 
Holy Ghost teacheth,” are less likely to mislead, and, as 
it seems to us, more properly expressive of humility, 
than any others. But surely there is no authority for 
shutting up any man to any one particular form of 
expression. As diversity is the law of our intelligence, 
so also is it the law of taste and of habit; and as no 
two persons would describe a scene, or an event, in the 
same language, so neither can they be expected to express 
a feeling, a conviction, a state of inward experience, in 
the same way. Some are free and fearless in the utter¬ 
ance of anything that they are sure is true ; others are 
timid and doubtful, but overcome their timidity by the 
power of triumphant faith. The latter will however be 
more cautious in the statement of experience than the 
former. They may fear that the words even of Scripture 
are too strong, and they may seek to give outward expres¬ 
sion to the inner life, in language subdued and humble. 
Let no one on this account reject their testimony. If it is 
real, though it should be indirect, it may yet honor the 
truth and commend to all who hear, the great reality. 
Inferential testimony alone, if it be conclusive, such as 
can only be explained by the fact* of “ a clean heart,” 
may be as convincing to some minds, both as to the fact 
and the privilege, as the boldest form of experience of 
which language is capable. We are very far from insisting 
upon a merely mechanical or outward conformity in modes 
of expression, or assuming that none but those who are 
able to assert in so many words that they are sanctified 
wholly, are to be regarded as really so. While we deem 
it compatible with the very purest humility, for one who 


292 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


has the evidences we have mentioned, to say “ the blood 
of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth ‘me * from all sin,” we 
deem it a clear testimony to the same thing, for one with 
the same evidence, to say, I am wholly the Lord’s; I 
have given up the world; I am filled with pure love; I 
am waiting for my Master to call me home; “ I am now 
ready to be offered.” Only let not the choice of words 
amount to an actual or virtual denial of the work, or a 
refusal to bear the responsibility of this “ high and holy 
calling.” We must again urge that he who should will¬ 
ingly decline to use words which would own the work 
truly done, or use such words as would be calculated, 
and knowingly allowed to mislead the listener, would 
not in this be truly humble—would not represent his 
Master, would not honor the truth-telling spirit within 
him; nay, he would greatly endanger his acceptance with 
God, and presently find that he had need of pardon and 
restoring grace. How can we fail to see that it is the 
truth that is due; the exact truth; and, so near as we 
can express it, the whole truth; in whatever language 
we may use for the purpose ? 

Finally, we would attach the utmost importance to the 
spirit in which all this is done. To everything that 
savors of self-congratulation,—of personal consequence,— 
of vain-glorious boasting, there are the most absolute 
objections. Such a manner tells but too plainly that the 
man is really self-deceived, and has nothing of peculiar 
sanctity to express. O, let him be warned of his danger 
before he further dishonors the sacred cause he professes 
to advance! His heart should glow with a depth of 
humility, and a purity of love, that would forever save 
him from so grave an error. The soul wholly sanctified. 


IN ITS COUNSELS. 


293 


has nothing to say in honor of himself. His profession 
only differs from that of ordinary Christians in that lie 
says more of Christ. He has more to say, for Christ 
has done more for him. Indeed, the genuineness of a 
true profession of this superior grace, has no one charac¬ 
teristic more distinct and unmistakable, than that, in 
word, in spirit, and in manner, it exalts Christ. It 
shows the power of his blood, the efficacy of his merits, 
the condescension of his love, the glory of his holiness. 
In the membership as well as in the ministry, it expressly 
says, “ But God forbid that I should glory save in the 
cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is 
crucified unto me, and I unto the world.” 

Against the profession of perfect love in this spirit, 
who has ought to object ? If any, let him first seek with 
all his heart, till he obtains this “ pearl of great price; ” 
let him experience the purifying baptism of the Holy 
Ghost; let his heart melt with hallowed love, and glow 
with sacred fire ; let him feel the sweet simplicity, the 
holy joy, the triumphing faith of a perfect Christian ; 
and then let him read oyer again, what we have written, 
and we shall be glad to see him, or hear from him in any 
way, that we may profit by the light of his experience, 
and the soundness of his instructions. 

We have thus concluded the chapter in which we 
have sought to express the true counsels of the central 
idea of Christianity. Whatever we have said must be 
tried by this criterion. It can only be true, as it is in 
harmony with the fact, that the production of holiness, 
in heart and life, is the grand aim of the Christian 
scheme. 289 


CHAPTER VI. 


THE CENTRAL IDEA IN ITS APPEALS. 

SEC. I. APPEAL TO PROFESSORS OF PERFECT LOVE. 

FIRST : TRIALS AWAIT YOU. 

You are doubtless aware that the devil is still your 
enemy. He is surely not less so from the fact that you 
have utterly rejected him, and consecrated yourselves 
wholly to the Lord. Indeed, if before the moment of 
complete salvation he had reasons for malice and alarm, 
he has much stronger ones since. Hence those feelings 
of dismay, of “ heaviness through manifold tempta¬ 
tions,” which sometimes beset you with peculiar power 
when you are aware of no disobedience, when you have 
been living closely with God. 

1. But especially your faith will be tried. The direct 
point of union between your consecrated souls and 
God, is firm trust in the “ blood that cleanseth from all 
sin.” It is therefore not unlikely that this will be 
early and artfully assailed. Before you are aware of 
the cause, you will be conscious of a suspicion, that the 
cleansing efficacy of Christ’s blood is not what you have 
supposed it to be. When you feel that you have 
nothing else to depend upon, that you have great need 


IN ITS APPEALS. 


295 


of present help and support, you will perhaps feel a 
hesitancy in trusting in Christ. You will be conscious 
of an effort to do it, and it will require some time, and 
possibly a struggle in prayer, before this sense of com¬ 
plete reliance is restored. You will probably not at 
first feel inclined to doubt the general efficacy of the 
atonement. But the query will be, does it avail for 
me ? Now, at this moment, may I claim it as my 
own ? Would it not be presumption ? I am so unworthy ; 
I have been so imperfect. Even when in sincere pur¬ 
pose I have been entirely devoted to God, my failures 
have been so numerous, so evident to others, can I ven¬ 
ture to trust in this blood for present entire sancti¬ 
fication ? I fear to do it! At least, I must have time 
to reflect and improve before I can venture! And if 
you yield thus far, you will find yourself inclined to go 
further. The suggestion will assume a bolder form. 
Can any blood cleanse sinful man? At all events are 
not most, or even all of those who think they axe 
cleansed from all sin, mistaken ? And at best, must it not 
require time, long continued sorrow, long and severe 
self-discipline, great power of pious habit, before any 
work of grace can wholly purify the soul ? 

But, brethren, beware. Here is a plain denial of the 
merits of Christ, and the efficacy of his blood. It seems 
plausible at first; the veriest humility indeed! But it 
is certainly a suggestion of the devil. What! is this a 
limited atonement ? Must we depend partly upon this 
and partly upon something else, for full redemption ? 
Does it avail for me at one time, and not at another ? 
Who says this ? God does not. The Bible does not. 
Experience does not. Surely none but the deceiver 


296 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


can originate, so unworthy a suggestion. The testimony 
of eternal truth is, that the blood of Christ is precisely 
the demand of justice, the full demand, at all times, for 
all persons. True, the condition must be met. But 
the question is not, whether this blood will cleanse those 
who reject it, who do not apply it, who do not “ walk 
in the light, as God is in the light,” who do not con¬ 
fess their need of it. It is simply and exclusively 
whether it avails for me if I do trust it ? Whether, if 
by a true evangelical faith I take it now, just as I am, 
without reservation for my sanctification, it really is so ? 
Whether if I walk in the light, the blood does verily 
now cleanse me from all sin ? God forbid that I should 
doubt it! If I do, I cannot refer that doubt to any 
want of power in the infinite Savior, to any limit to the 
merit of his blood, to any want of veracity in him, to 
any intimation in his holy word. It is false— 
maliciously and dangerously false. It can have 
but one origin. It is a temptation. It is a trial of 
faith. It should be recognized as such instantly, and 
by an act of the will, the very thought should be 
dashed aside. The tempter may be foiled by seizing 
some precious promise, and presenting it to the throne, 
and holding it there with steady hand until you feel it 
is redemeed. 

But here will arise a modified form of the temptation. 
One promise after another is suggested and laid aside. 
This, says the tried spirit, is very precious, but it is not 
for me ! Nor this ! Nor this ! And so on until all 
that come to mind are exhausted! And at last there 
arises a general fear that the whole system will prove a 
failure! The suggestion is distinct and alarming,— 


IN ITS APPEALS. 


297 


“ These assurances will never be realized! ” What 
surer evidence can there be that this doubt is false, than 
that it questions the word of Jehovah? It certainly 
comes from the father of lies. We must contradict it. 
The veracity of God cannot fail. He does redeem all 
his promises. The experience of thousands attests it. 
And it is a grievous sin to hearken and yield to this 
temptation. No marvel that he who does it, is so soon 
prostrate in the mire. The devil has charged God falsely, 
and one of his own dear children has credited the 
charge! adopted it! vouched for it! Alas for our 
weakness! Alas for our folly! Unbelief, the most 
unreasonable, the most ruinous of all our sins, and yet 
the most common, the most probable. How much more 
consistent with our own ignorance, with true humility 
of heart, to say, in firm sincerity, 

“ Lord, I believe thy every word, 

Thy every promise true; * 

and we can believe it. We can see that every promise 
is true. Indeed we are convinced of its truth, by the 
reason which has grasped a revelation, by the impres¬ 
sions of the eternal Spirit on our souls, by the living 
words spoken in our hearts, by a thousand redemptions 
of his sacred pledges to our own spirits. It is only by 
bewildering temptations direct from Satan, that the holy 
Christian can be induced to falter in his faith. Confu¬ 
sion of mind brings on darkness and fear, and the 
w'ord verily believed is not voluntarily trusted,— 
the Savior accredited, is not freely and fully relied 
upon. But it is in no sense necessary to fall at this 
point. Let the soul be alive to recognize the tempta- 


298 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


tion; let it instantly assert that whatever doubts the 
word of God is false,—that whatever shakes the faith in 
the present available truth of Jehovah’s promise is from 
beneath; let the eye be fixed upon the sprinkling blood, 
—the prayer be breathed to Heaven for help,—remem¬ 
bering above all that blessed word, “ Resist the devil 
and he will flee from you ; draw nigh to God, and he 
will draw nigh to you.” 

But in connection with this trial of your faith in the 
efficacy of the blood and the verity of the word, will 
come the artful suggestion that you are not sanctified 
wholly,—that you have somehow forfeited the blessing, 
or that you prematurely believed at first, and hence 
have been deceived yourselves, and have deceived others 
by false testimony. Now we do not mean that every 
conviction that you are not holy, is a temptation,—that 
every fear as to the present or past, is necessarily an 
ungrounded fear. For doubtless it may in some in¬ 
stances be true, that the blessing has been lost, and 
that it has been claimed where it did not exist. All 
cases of this kind can be traced and identified, and have 
their remedy. But apply the tests. We address those 
who profess the great blessing, and would assist them 
in guarding against a snare of the devil. Is the thought 
accompanied by a desire of evil,—a desire to seek grati¬ 
fication in some forbidden object—a secret wish that 
you had never taken the responsibilities of a holy life 
upon you,—that you might somehow be honorably dis¬ 
charged from them ? Then you have reason to fear. 
Whatever may have been your former state, you are 
now doubtless without the evidence of entire consecra¬ 
tion. You can probably remember some instance of 


/ 


IN ITS APPEALS. 299 

yielding when you were tried,—of unbelief which 
grieved the Holy Spirit—and perhaps of some bolder 
form of sin which has shorn you of your strength, O 
repent, and hasten again to the sacred fountain. May God 
help you. Redeem your solemn vows before it is too 
late. 

But on the contrary, is this suggestion a source of 
grief to you ? Do you feel that if it should prove to 
be true, it would rob you of your chief glory; that it 
is directly against all the desires and inclinations of 
your soul; that, whether true or false, you would not for 
the world distrust your Savior, or grieve his Holy 
Spirit; that whether for life or death your all is still the 
Lord’s, and, whatever is the issue, no word of your 
solemn vow which consecrated all to God shall ever be 
revoked ? Then “ thank God and take courage.” You 
are only walking through the fire, and if there be no 
shrinking “ when you are tried, you shall come forth 
as gold.” You deceived in the faith that you are wholly 
the Lord’s, when you have been distinctly conscious of a 
divine testimony to the fact, and are actually bringing 
forth the scriptural fruits of perfect love ! Deceived in 
claiming “ the fulness of the blessing of the gospel of 
peace” when you rely wholly upon the merits of 
Christ and the promise of his word for this very thing! 
Deceived in obeying the divine command, “ Reckon ye 
yourselves dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God 
through Jesus Christ our Lord,” when you shrink from 
the very thought of sin as horn deadly poison, and your 
whole soul is absorbed in doing the will and promoting 
the glory of God! Impossible. Lie low at the Savior’s 
feet till the storm is over-past. Watch closely the 


300 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


motions of your own spirit, and of the Spirit of God. You 
will feel the witness in the very midst of the temptation, 
and triumph in the very face of the foe. As to the past, 
have no argument with the devil. You live by the 
moment; your present consecration, your present accep¬ 
tance, your present witness, is all you need. Be content 
with that ; it would be enough to complete the bliss of 
an archangel. The past is with God; there leave it 
with filial confidence. The devil, who would defraud 
you of your present treasure, would certainly misrepre¬ 
sent all that has been done to obtain it. 

One other form of this trial we feel bound to mention.- 
Where the tempter cannot unsettle the present, nor 
destroy the past, he makes desperate exertions to over¬ 
cast the future with clouds of darkness. He starts 
the suspicion that our weakness will some time yield; 
but this is all idle. The one good and reliable rule of 
living by the moment will destroy the temptation. He 
suggests that the cause of experimental holiness cannot 
succeed,—that it is unpopular,—that special attempts to 
promote it destroy the influence of men,—that possibly 
its friends have acted unwisely in bringing it so promi¬ 
nently forward, and thus exposing it to the special 
assaults of the world—that a more discreet policy is 
much easier for us, and more useful in the end ! Alas! 
what a concatenation of misrepresentations is here! And 
yet we seriously fear that many of our dear brethren are 
yielding to the fatal delusion. What if it be unpopular ? 
Is not that an evidence in its favor ? Make holiness too 
prominent! It is that one blessing and life “ without 
which no man shall see the Lord.” Expose it to the 
attacks of the world! It is the grand element of our 


IN ITS APPEALS. 


301 


moral power. Easier to propose and be responsible for 
a lower standard! Yes, if we call a compromise with 
tbe devil ease. Will never succeed! Then no more 
souls will get to heaven. Must be given up! Then 
the word of God must fail. 

No, it will not, cannot fail. It is God’s special care 
on earth. It is the great end of the atonement. It is 
the glorious work of the church. It is the centre and 
sun of the Christian scheme. Then “ listen not to the 
voice of the charmer, charm he never so wisely.” True, 
it must be slow in progress while the practical opposition 
to it is so immense! It is not the choice of poor blind 
man even if a religion is to be adopted. But it will not 
show passionate resentment. It will not yield to dis¬ 
couragement. It will bear itself meekly, but firmly, until 
its triumph is declared from the throne of the omnipotent 
Judge in the ears of an assembled world. 

Such briefly are the leading temptations to which you 
are exposed for the trial of your faith. If you yield to 
them, the sacred cause will mourn ; the church will feel 
the loss of your moral power ; fearful struggles between 
light and darkness, hope and fear, are before you; and 
God’s Holy Spirit will be grieved. If you bear up 
against them courageously, the holiest triumphs await you. 

Have you endured “ the trial of your faith ” without 
yielding? If so, you have proved that it “is much 
more precious than of gold that perisheth; ” if not—if 
you have at least allowed “an evil heart of unbelief,” 
in “ the blood that cleanseth,” in the word that prom¬ 
ises, in the fact of your entire sanctification, or in the 
final triumphs of holiness, then, alas! you will not, 
without recovery, share in the further trials peculiar to 


302 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


this holy state. You will rather become the sources of 
them! And if there be no rallying of personal, appro¬ 
priating faith, those children of God, with whom you 
have been so closely and tenderly identified in the expe¬ 
rience and sufferings of’ holiness, will soon begin to feel 
the weight of your influence upon their tried hearts;— 
silently at first,—unintentionally upon your part,—only 
through the inferences of others, drawn from your 
decline, which can by no means be hid, but at length 
openly, and even bitterly, we fear; as it is matter of 
painful experience that the severest trials of these we 
are addressing, come from those who have at some time 
professed entire sanctification! If any of you are really 
shorn of your strength, you will have no direct interest 
in the cautions which follow. We must, however, in 
passing, beg you to think, to remember, to repent, to 
cry to God, to reconsecrate your all, to believe again 
for entire salvation, and plunge again into the open 
fountain. 

2. But, brethren, you who have thus far “kept the 
faith,” your Christian charity will be tried. We can¬ 
not admit, for a moment, that the great blessing you 
have experienced, has the slightest tendency to produce 
uncharitable feelings towards other Christians. It is so 
charged, we know; but if in any instance there has been 
apparent reason in the accusation, it has arisen, we are 
sure, either from the plain and pointed reproofs which 
brethren, burning with love, have felt obliged to give, 
to manifest “ sin in believers,” or backslidden professors; 
or from a reprehensible censoriousness, which has 
resulted, not from holiness, but the want of it. If there 
be any state in which the Christian’s heart is literally 


IN ITS APPEALS. 


303 


filled with that charity which “ thinketh no evil,” it is 
that of entire sanctification ; and yet this very charity 
is destined in every case to be severely tried. 

Apparent indifference, and even opposition to holi¬ 
ness, will try your Christian charity. You preach, for 
instance, with your soul penetrated with the convictions, 
and your heart overwhelmed with the feelings of experi- 
• mental holiness. You explain to your brethren their 
honored privilege. You support it by the most indu¬ 
bitable arguments. You appeal to the Searcher of hearts 
for the sincerity of your motives. You bring into 
requisition the holy Scriptures, the views and experience 
of “the eminent dead,” and the very faith of the church 
to which your brethren have voluntarily and solemnly 
subscribed; and after all no general permanent interest 
is awakened. Only a few are melted under the powder 
of the truth. A smaller number still are sufficiently 
impressed to say a word upon the subject afterwards; 
whereas the great mass of church members reveal 
apparent contentment in a state of partial sanctification ; 
perhaps look coolly upon your exertions for the advance 
of the sacred cause; give you reason to believe that 
they pity you for the manner in which you are wasting 
your efforts and influence ; indicate personal aversion to 
you ; speak triflingly of your profession in your absence, 
and reproachfully of your character before some, who, 
for kind or vicious reasons, report it to you; and finally 
come out in open opposition to your views and efforts, 
and evince, with more or less severity, the spirit of per¬ 
secution to you, on the account of your determined sup¬ 
port of the great doctrine of experimental holiness. 
Earnest and frequent prayers and exhortations, and 


304 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


especially tlie declaration of experience, but increase 
these demonstrations. 

And here comes the trial. You deeply feel that 
these brethren are in error. You feel that they wrong 
you; that they wrong the truth of God; that they 
wrong the church and the world; and especially that 
they wrong the Savior, who with affectionate entreaty 
offers his blood to cleanse them from all sin. You 
plausibly argue, that if they were Christians they would 
love holiness; that they could not oppose it; and it is 
even unaccountable that they should be indifferent to it. 

But, beware; the tempter is at hand. Your Chris¬ 
tian charity is in the furnace here. Grant, as we must, 
that no true Christian can voluntarily resist what he 
recognizes as holiness, can indulge in a persecuting 
spirit towards even the feeblest of Christ’s “ little ones,” 
or uncharitably and wantonly sacrifice the reputation of 
his brother ; grant, that whoever does this, reveals an 
unconverted or a fallen state, or destroys his justifica¬ 
tion before God, and that there are many such among 
those whose relations to the work of holiness even now 
so strongly tax your charity; yet allow us humbly to 
submit; you cannot certainly know the motives of men. 
God has not made you a “judge over them.” Nay, 
he has expressly forbidden you to judge. You, most ot 
all, should heed that peremptory command of the 
Savior, “ Judge not that ye be not judged.” Be assured 
there is nothing incompatible with this high behest in 
that other declaration, “ By their fruits ye shall know 
them.” Observe; “ye shall know them,” (false proph¬ 
ets,) which may not require that you should “ judge ” 
and denounce them; besides, “ fruits ” which show 


IN ITS APPEALS. 


305 


them to be really bad men, must not mean any merely 
accidental or isolated facts in their history. A uniformly 
bad and unholy life alone, in the midst of flattering 
words and high professions of goodness, would show 
them to be the “ wolves in sheep’s clothing,” to whom 
our Savior referred, and of whom he bade his disciples 
“beware.” But such surely are not our dear brethren 
in the church of God. 

So far should we be in any truly Christian state from 
allowing hasty conclusions against those who oppose us, 
that we should seek with anxious care to account for 
their positions upon other principles. May there not 
be something in us that in part explains their aversion 
to the experience we recommend—some want of meek¬ 
ness under trials, of humility in prosperity, of gentle¬ 
ness in our manners, or kindness and sympathy in our 
mode of teaching the truth? Or if we have in no 
sense sinned in these particulars, still must we not admit 
that there is enough of general infirmity and of peculiar 
weakness about each of us to excuse, to some extent, 
though not justify, the criticisms practised upon us? 
And must it not be confessed that there are few of us 
who exhibit so uniformly the holy power of perfect 
love, as to place our position utterly beyond the reach 
of cavil ? May not some of our brethren really and 
from honest hearts differ from us in relation to the mode 
of teaching and promoting the doctrine, and hence 
place themselves in apparent opposition to the cause of 
holiness, while in reality they are in favor of it, and 
opposed only to what they deem our peculiarities ? We 
are persuaded that this is the case with thousands; and 
if so, it would be a grievous wrong to condemn them 
26 * 


306 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


as apostates, or refuse to acknowledge them as in any 
sense coadjutors in the great work of “ spreading scrip¬ 
tural holiness over these lands.” 

And suffer us in all kindness to suggest, that, in very 
many instances, this apparent or real opposition to active 
and specific efforts for the promotion of holiness as a 
separate blessing, may be accounted for in various ways, 
which will leave ample ground for confidence in the 
piety of our brethren. Poor human nature is very 
weak and erring, with the best of intentions; and 
whatever of this great evil may be set down to this 
fact, will save our mutual Christian confidence. Besides, 
these masses are confessedly sanctified but in part, and 
what more natural than that remaining corruptions 
should tend to the very results of which we complain ? 
What more natural than that the burning truths poured 
upon the souls still unsanctified, should rouse more or 
less of resistance ? In such a state, the first instinct is 
self-defence, vindication, and even resentment! It fur¬ 
nishes indeed sad evidence of the truth of the doctrine, 
and of the necessity of effort, but it may not prove 
these persons in a state of unpardoned guilt. They 
doubtless often condemn themselves for all this folly, 
repent of it in deep anguish of spirit, secretly before 
God; and yet, perhaps, ere they are aware of it, detect 
themselves in framing theories of holiness, accomodat¬ 
ing to their condition, and persuading themselves to 
believe that there is something forbidding, injurious and 
unnecessary in any specific and formal efforts to promote 
entire sanctification. Even in your own past experi¬ 
ence, it is not unlikely you may find some reason for a 
charitable construction of this dreadful evil. It is 


IN ITS APPEALS. 


307 


probable that your own minds have, at different times, 
even*in a truly converted state, felt more or less of this 
very aversion, and been guilty of these same inconsis¬ 
tencies ; if not, you have special reasons to thank God 
for the grace that has saved you from them. 

We have said these things, not to convince you that 
all your opponents are true and honest Christians; for 
alas ! we are very well aware that this cannot be claimed. 
Doubtless, many oppose holiness because they hate it, 
and oppose you, because they know and feel that you 
represent it; but surely no member of the church of 
God ought, upon slight grounds, to be charged with so 
heinous a crime; and it may be safely assumed, that 
where such depravity exists, it will show itself also in 
other ways, and by some means attract the attention of 
those who are responsible for the discipline of the 
church. 

Nor would we wish to diminish your aversion to sin 
even in others, or to a love of sin wherever it may be 
found. To inspire charity for what is wrong in itself, 
or dangerous in its tendency, especially if it is found in 
the church, is no part of our object. Against every 
thing of this kind, those who are perfect in love must, 
upon all proper occasions, bear a decided and unflinch¬ 
ing testimony; and even when disapprobation may 
not express itself directly in words, the life, the spirit, 
the countenance must be an unequivocal reproof to all 
attempts, formal or otherwise, at compromise with the 
devil. The danger of quiet, and of all efforts to evade 
responsibility, in an unsanctified state, must be pressed 
home upon the hearts and consciences of our brethren, 
“ whether they will hear or forbear,” This is no time 


308 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


for indecision. To give even an implied approval or 
consent to the indifference or opposition of the church 
or individual, to the experience and spread of holiness, 
would bring evil upon your own conscience which you 
would be unable to bear. 

But we have made, these suggestions to show that you 
may be saved the pain,—the wrong of sweeping con¬ 
demnations, by sound thinking, by careful analysis of 
character, by the true authority of history, and by the 
light shed upon the ways of even regenerated men, by 
the word of God. We wish to guard brethren against 
general conclusions adverse to the piety of individuals, 
from the simple fact, that they do not harmonize with 
them. God is, we trust, graciously carrying on a work 
in their hearts, which will finally remove all their 
inward aversion to the thing itself, and to all scriptural 
inodes of promoting it; and however much you may 
condemn their course, you will surely not be uncharita¬ 
ble to them ; you will rather rejoice to believe that there 
is much good being done, besides that which is done by 
the special advocates for present distinct action in favor 
of holiness; and if men will not go as far in doing 
good as they ought to, you will bid them God-speed as 
far as they do go. You shall thus disarm prejudice, or 
at least clear your own souls. Are any among you 
inclined to despair of the goodness of all who blindly 
resist this work ? allow us to hope that these cautions 
may not prove in vain. Your Christian charity is pass¬ 
ing a severe ordeal. It may be destined to something 
severer still; but “ You will come forth as gold.” You 
will pity where you cannot approve. You will grieve 
over those whose lives, as a whole, compel you to think 


IN ITS APPEALS. 


309 


them destitute of true piety. You will charitably dis¬ 
tinguish between the resistance made to your particular 
mode of promoting holiness, and opposition to the work 
itself. You will carefully and rigidly scrutinize your 
own hearts and lives,—your modes of doing your heav¬ 
en-commissioned work, to see how much there may be 
calculated to discredit it, and what you can lay aside as 
needlessly offensive. You will sincerely rejoice in all 
the good you find in those who oppose you, and in all 
the good they may do to the souls of others. You will 
yield nothing of the great fundamental truths of the 
gospel to the demands of men, even Christian men. 
You will compromise no duty. You will remit no 
efforts to urge forward the glorious work of entire sal¬ 
vation from sin to gratify your dearest friend or bitterest 
enemy. To all unmerited condemnation let every true 
Christian reply, “ But with me it is a very small thing 
that I should be judged of you, or of man’s judgment: 
yea, I judge not mine own self; for I know nothing by 
myself; yet am I not hereby justified; but he_ that 
judgeth me is the Lord.” Let all heed the injunction : 
“Therefore, judge nothing before the time, until the 
Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden 
things of darkness, and will make manifest the coun¬ 
sels of the heart.” 

3. Your Christian patience will be tried. “ In your 
patience possess ye your souls,” is an inspired direction 
given because it is needed. No Christian can be inno¬ 
cently fretful. Not even natural disposition can be an 
excuse for it. It always includes more or less of untruth- 
fulness, of exaggeration, of censoriousness. It engen¬ 
ders “ anger, malice, strife, and every evil work.” Those 


310 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


who give way to it, however great the provocation, must 
mourn the hidings of the divine countenance—must 
lament in bitterness so great a folly, or soon be numbered 
with apostates. 

But you, who are wholly consecrated to God, cannot be 
impatient even in feeling without the greatest danger. It is 
no doubt greater harm to speak complainingly and censo¬ 
riously, than to have the feeling and suppress it; for if you 
indulge in such language even to your dearest friends, you 
will start suspicion in relation to your profession; and 
much more will the sacred cause be wounded in the pres¬ 
ence of enemies, or of those who look with doubt upon the 
doctrine, the experience, and the profession of holiness. 
But have you not sometimes thought that the feeling of 
impatience if it be suppressed is wholly innocent ? Beware, 
brethren. Precisely here is the snare of the devil. When 
your evidence of perfect love is clear, and your soul is 
complete in all the will of God, do the petty annoyances of 
life affect you? Can you not endure even the most 
unreasonable provocations from servants, friends, or 
enemies, in perfect calmness ? Make the very sweetness 
of your temper and the gentleness of your manner, a 
powerful rebuke to sin, and a palliative to the misfortunes 
of those around you ? But if you are conscious of some¬ 
thing more than inward sorrow for the wrongs that 
others inflict upon you and upon themselves,—of some¬ 
thing different from the purest love to those who annoy 
you,—if you feel your dissatisfaction with them so great 
as to incline you to repay them for the trouble they have 
made you, to annoy them in return, to resent your inju¬ 
ries, though you do not utter a complaining word, you 
may be sure something is wrong. It is the heart, the 


IN ITS APPEALS. 


311 


inner man, upon which the eye of God is fixed. True, 
the connection between the feelings and the words, the 
thoughts and the actions, is so close that they are not 
easily separated. “ Out of the abundance of the heart 
the mouth spcaketh,” and “ he that offendeth not in word 
nor in tongue, the same is a perfect man.” You will, 
therefore, not long retain the feelings of resentment with 
which the enemy has inspired you within your own 
breast. Your countenance, your movements, your tones 
of voice, and finally, your words, will show that you are 
inwardly wrong. O the calmness of love ! The sweet¬ 
ness and power of purity! But this rich and heavenly 
grace cannot be left to itself. In this world of sin it 
must be severely tried. The rashness of friends and the 
virulence of foes will attack it. The want of harmony 
around you will powerfully tend to unsettle the harmony 
within. Worn and exhausted vital energies will expose 
it. Enfeebled and irritable nerves will surely try it. 
Through all these, and a thousand nameless ills, the 
tempter will assault a meek and quiet spirit. But if you 
keep your unity with Christ, if in all this you have no 
other will than the will of God, the temptation will fail. 
You may be conscious of inward pain, but not of resent¬ 
ment ; of inward grief, but not of anger ; of the strong¬ 
est disapprobation, but not of ill-will. Love, deep and 
melting love, will pervade the soul under the keenest 
sufferings, and the severest provocations. It will illu¬ 
minate the countenance, sweeten the temper, soften the 
words, and throw a charm over the scenes of wretched¬ 
ness itself! It is well to guard against the assaults of 
the enemy made directly by whispers of evil when none 
but spirits are near you, or indirectly through persons 


312 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


and things around you. Indeed you must “ watch./’ or 
be taken by surprise. The great security, however, is 
in living faith that renounces self, and casts the soul 
wholly upon the Lord. 

But the patience of the wholly sanctified is destined 
to other trials. When the clear light breaks in upon the 
soul, and the baptism of the Holy Ghost resolves all 
doubts, and reduces the whole problem of Christian 
perfection to complete simplicity, we feel that the work 
is easy for all the church of Christ. We think it can be 
readily explained. We hope soon to induce others to 
accept the same relief from the evils of a divided heart, 
and even expect to see the work of holiness spreading 
like a flame throughout the land. But alas! the trial 
soon shows the intractableness of the materials, and the 
unskilfulness of the workmen. The tears which gush 
out in response to deep-felt sympathy and melting love 
soon dry up. The confidence you have inspired is 
soon followed by suspicion, neglect, and finally opposi¬ 
tion ; and the amazing truth comes home to your hearts 
with the most pungent sorrow that you are destined to 
general defeat; that only a few will be fully roused and 
brought into the perfect liberty of holiness ; that some of 
these will soon Decome inconsistent in life, and treacher¬ 
ous in heart, and join the ranks of opponents; that neither 
a year nor an age will suffice “to spread scriptural 
holiness over these lands.” And then comes on the 
discouragement. The temptation falls upon the soul 
with fearful power, it is all a failure! We can’t 
succeed! The church will go on in its worldliness 
until awaked by the trump of judgment! The little 
that we can do is of no avail, and we may as well give 


IN ITS APPEALS. 


313 


over our efforts, do what we can in the ordinary way, 
and trouble ourselves no further! Here again is the 
fatal snare. Alas, brethren, whence do you get this sug¬ 
gestion ? Does God say so ? Does he say, I have tried 
for years to make men holy, and have only succeeded in 
a few instances, I will therefore give it up ? Does the 
Savior make the difficulties of his undertaking the 
reason for abandoning it ? No. “ He shall not fail nor 
be discouraged until he have set judgment in the earth.'’ 
You will never be fully like your Master until you can 
learn to both work and wait—work as though the salva¬ 
tion of the world depended upon your efforts, and wait 
as though it were a most willing life-labor to be the 
means of saving a single soul; “ knowing this, that the 
trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience 
have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, 
wanting nothing.” 

4. Your Christian firmness will be tested. The 
apparent want of success will try it. How often has it 
already been suggested to you to detach yourself from a 
cause that is so unpopular ! Better to abandon an enter¬ 
prise that meets with so little favor from the mass of 
professing Christians, and from which you can see so 
little evident fruit. And neglect mil try your firmness. 
Your preaching, your exhortations, your personal 
entreaties to awake to the necessity of holiness, will be 
heard with indifference, or, if felt for the time, will not 
generally be acted upon. If you introduce the subject 
in private conversation, it will soon be superseded by some¬ 
thing else, and thus you will be tempted to yield the 
point and say no more. Sometimes also you will meet 
with direct opposition,—opposition in doctrine, in 
27 


314 THE CENTRAL IDEA 

experience and practice,—perhaps from those who have 
been baptized in the faith of the church, who have 
avowed before the altar of God their belief in the power 
of Christ to cleanse from all sin, who have solemnly 
affirmed that they “ expected to be made perfect in love in 
this life, and were then groaning after it! ” But will you 
give it up ? When you first read, in the word of God, 
“ it is his will even your sanctification,” did you say, I 
will believe this until some of my brethren deny it or 
explain it away ? When you first began to cry out, 
“ Create in me a clean heart, O God,” did you add, if it 
shall be found popular to have clean hearts ? When 
you made your consecration, was it with the reservations 
of expediency ? When you first lifted up your voice 
and cried to the church, “ Be ye holy for God is holy,” 
was it with the intention to desist as soon as it should 
appear that only a few would heed the solemn appeal ? No, 
verily. Then you would have been ashamed at the very 
thought of such gross inconsistency. Why then do you 
now tremble to find yourself so nearly alone ? Why are 
you now secretly looking out for a way of retreat when 
the battle begins to rage ? O, “ Stand fast in the liberty 
wherewith Christ hath made you free, and be not again 
entangled with the yoke of bondage.” “ Be sober, be 
vigilant; because your adversary, the devil, as a roaring 
lion, walketh about seeking whom he may devour ; whom 
resist, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflic¬ 
tions are accomplished in your brethren in the world. 
But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his 
eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered 
awhile, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle 
you ; ” for really it cannot be denied that to many pro- 


IN ITS APPEALS. 


315 


fessors of perfect love this language is exactly appro¬ 
priate. 

5. In the struggle in which you have engaged, your 
perseverance will be* severely tested. Have you not 
marked how many who have entered the path of holi¬ 
ness have finally abandoned it? Have you not seen 
how many have brought disgrace upon this sacred pro¬ 
fession by their inconsistencies, by their want of sound 
discretion, by their instability? Has not your heart 
been grieved by the sad exposures of this holy cause 
from the infidelity of its friends ? And will you add 
one more to the number of the unfaithful ? God forbid 
it. Is it not true that God requires holiness, that he 
holds it out to every believer by the most charming 
promises of the gospel ? Is it not true that the large 
majority of real Christians are yet without it, that in 
consequence of its neglect the church is loaded with a 
body of death filled with backsliders, and comparatively 
powerless for the great purpose to which she is ordained 
of Heaven ? Is it not true that, by keeping silence, by 
waiving the claims of entire sanctification, you may 
deprive many of the advantage of your experience, 
deaden the work in your own soul, and finally lose your 
evidence as others have done ? For Christ’s sake, “ be 
steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of 
the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not 
vain in the Lord.” 


316 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


SECOND ; HOLINESS MUST NOT BE TAKEN OUT OF ITS PROPER 
CONNECTIONS. 

That there is a tendency to this/can hardly be denied. 
When we are thoroughly roused by the Spirit of God, 
from a state of comparative indifference to lively Christ¬ 
ian activity, and enter upon a course of searching 
inquiry into the deficiencies of the past, and the depth 
and extent of our privilege, as a natural and first effect, 
we sink amazingly in our own eyes ; and happy for us 
if, through the device of the devil, the work of God 
already done in our hearts, and still in progress, does not 
go down with self! Surely, we are in great danger of 
blindness here. Many have been the sufferers who, in 
the very struggle for “ a clean heart,” have been led to 
depreciate their past religious experience, until they 
grieved the Spirit, and reached a state of complete 
despair. But if the soul escapes this snare and the work 
goes on, the glory of holiness becomes entirely absorb¬ 
ing. Oh, how deep, and rich, and full its blessings. 
Completely enamored with its charms, and awed by its 
overpowering grandeur, one may very well say,—give 
me this, and I want nothing besides It is not wonder¬ 
ful that, in such a state, this one object should com¬ 
pletely occupy the mind. And when this absorbing 
desire is gratified, the danger is not entirely past. We 
do not mean the danger of over-estimating the grace of 
perfect love. This, we are sure, is impossible. We 
mean simply the danger of making it the whole of the 
Christian scheme. It is doubtless the very centre and 
soul of the scheme,—the grand aim of remedial love in 
reference to sinners. But it is not the whole. Other 


IN ITS APPEALS. 


317 


fundamental principles, however accessory and subordi¬ 
nate to this, have their place in the system,-—their 
importance to the unconverted, to the justified, and to 
the wholly sanctified—their demands upon us, upon all, 
for attention, enforcement, and defence. 

If now, as ministers or members of the church, we 
should become so entirely engrossed with the charms of 
perfect love as to lose sight of its accessories—if our 
minds should be so occupied with the one thought—the 
one doctrine, vast and comprehensive as it is, that we 
could preach upon no other theme, converse or pray 
only about holiness, the precious truth would doubtless 
suffer in our hands. We do not believe the many are 
liable to fall into this error Far otherwise. It must 
rather be confessed with sorrow that much the greater 
numbers are in danger of the opposite extreme;—that 
they do not feel the charm of Christian purity drawing 
them for months, and even years together, to preach a 
single sermon or speak upon its distinctive character and 
claims;—that numerous Christians and large congrega¬ 
tions are permitted to sit under the ministry for many 
years, perhaps for life, without being impressed even 
once with the glorious truth that entire deliverance from 
sin in this life is their blood-bought privilege, their 
indispensable duty. This undoubtedly is the great evil 
of the pulpit and the church. But for the present we 
address a different class—a class to whose course and 
bearing we attach the greater importance, from the very 
fact that it is small. Indeed, it would seem that the 
church cannot well bear the misdirection of the smallest 
part of those labors which are especially designed to 
promote experimental holiness. To aid one beloved 
27 * 


318 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


brother, who has to any extent impaired his usefulness 
by becoming, in an unfortunate sense, a man of one idea, 
in recovering from this dangerous tendency, would, as 
we believe, be a work of incalculable usefulness. 

Let us then with great plainness point out the indi¬ 
cations of this error. You have proved by blessed 
experience the power of holiness. Of course you love 
it. The theme attracts you wherever mentioned. A 
sermon in which it is truthfully presented,—a prayer 
in which it is earnestly asked,—a conversation in which 
it is sincerely discussed,—or a book in which it is clearly 
explained and ably enforced, has, for that very reason, a 
special interest for you; and the more so as you meet 
with so little of this, and so much of everything else. 
This is unquestionably right. "Would that a similar 
love of holiness pervaded the whole church. But, if 
now you detect in yourself a secret disrelish for any 
other theme,—if you perceive a lurking desire to avoid 
delivering or hearing those discourses which dwell 
upon any of the innumerable other Bible topics, which, 
though intimately related to this one, are in some sense 
distinct from it,—if you are conscious of an aversion 
to experience, though sincerely related, which falls short 
of the highest standard revealed in the gospel, or a 
general distrust of the religion of those who make no 
special efforts for the promotion of holiness,—if you feel 
an inaptitude,—an inward disqualification for labors that 
aim directly at the hearts of sinners,—that seek their 
awakening and conversion, the reclamation of back¬ 
sliders, the confirming of the weak and the growth in 
grace, however gradual, of the truly regenerated; if any 
of these or kindred tendencies begin to develop them- 


IN ITS APPEALS'. 


319 


selves to your consciousness, then be on your guard. 
Precisely here is the snare of the devil. 

To any ivho may be thus enticed we beg leave most 
affectionately to submit the following suggestions: 

1. These feelings of aversion are clearly wrong. You 
once felt them to be so. At their first appearance they 
startled you. You cried out to God against them,— 
struggled against them and got the mastery over them. 
But since, they have seemed more plausible, and you 
may have even admitted them into the elements of your 
religion, and persuaded yourself that you were greatly 
subserving the cause of holiness, by giving to it your 
exclusive attention, and virtually proscribing every thing 
else! Alas! my brother, see what these things are to 
which you have acquired this aversion;—feeling for 
sinners—“ exhorting, entreating, rebuking with all 
long-suffering and patience,”—“ supporting the weak,” 
—“raising up the bowed-down—holding up the feeble 
hands and confirming the feeble knees, strengthening 
the tilings that remain that are ready to die ”—the very 
work in which your blessed Master was engaged while 
on earth, and is to this hour, and which he has entrusted 
to his church. Surely you will not permit the existence 
of this feeling of exclusiveness, opposed directly, as it 
is, to the humane and heavenly mission of our holy 
Christianity. 

2. It is inconsistent with the claims of holiness which 
demands only its own position. It supersedes no doc¬ 
trine of the gospel. It is instead of no other work of 
grace. It acknowledges the atonement, conviction, 
repentance, justification by faith, regeneration, adoption, 
sanctification commenced, and growth in grace. Nay, 


320 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


more. It depends upon all these. It cannot exist with¬ 
out them, and hence requires its advocates to bend their 
energies, to a very large extent, to the work of produc¬ 
ing and maintaining them. As the grand preliminaries 
to entire sanctification, they must be insisted upon. 
Holiness is offered directly to but few. The great mass 
of the world cannot receive it. An immense previous 
work must be accomplished before it would be of any 
avail to urge upon them the doctrine of holiness. And 
this previous work is of the utmost importance in itself, 
and in its relation to the sanctified state. No well 
instructed advocate of holiness can therefore be devoted 
directly only to that work. The claims of holiness 
extend in the fullest degree to the preparation of men 
for its experience, as well as to the completion of the 
work in the hearts of true believers. 

3. There is danger in the spirit which we wish in all 
humility to guard against,—danger to the soul that 
entertains it; as its immediate effect is to destroy the 
basis of his own experience and produce uncharitable 
tempers,—danger to the souls of others whose salvation 
from the guilt of sin is thus neglected,—and danger to 
the cause; for its enemies wield these inconsistencies 
against its advocates and against the cause itself. So 
soon as any of us can patiently speak of and hear 
nothing else, then we cease to be respectfully and profit¬ 
ably heard upon this subject. 

These remarks we have addressed to the few who are 
in danger. Let no one charge these errors upon the 
professors of holiness generally. They understand their 
calling better, and seek to check the first beginnings of 
exclusiveness, though they originate in the very ardor 


IN ITS APPEALS. 


321 


of love for this glorious grace. They may be depended 
upon to labor anywhere, and with due regard to circum¬ 
stances, for the promotion of the whole and every part 
of the Christian scheme. 


THIRD: BEWARE OF SCHISM. 

This caution may startle you. You will say at once, 
“ Schism in the body of Christ is a crime—a grievous 
offence against God and man, of which we would no 
more be guilty than of blasphemy. It separates the 
hearts of brethren. It stirs up jealousy, pride and 
strife, making enemies of friends.” It will therefore 
surprise you to see that you are thought to be ill danger 
from a spirit that is, in every respect, so utterly foreign 
from that of perfect love ! But, brethren, let us lie low, 
and humbly inquire at the foot of the cross. We may 
detect evil where we least suspect it, and you are not 
afraid to know the truth. You do not start back indig¬ 
nantly at the intimation that the arts of your tempter may 
lead your poor weak human nature astray, and scornfully 
refuse to investigate. No. God forbid. All this 
belongs to the unsanctilied heart. Your very profes¬ 
sion implies that you are teachable as a child. 

All evil, to be understood and avoided, must be traced 
to its source. The beginnings of a vice may be 
tolerated, and at length cordially entertained, by those 
who would shrink with horror from its developments. 
Let us, therefore, search for the origin of schism in the 
church, and see whether we can discover any thing 
against which we have reason to guard. 


322 * THE CENTRAL IDEA. 

1. Differences in doctrine may lead to division in 
feeling and in action. Indeed, it cannot have escaped 
the notice of even superficial observers, that those who 
have the same views of the great truths and minor 
details of the gospel,very naturally adhere to each other. 
Hence it is that brotherly love is easier between mem¬ 
bers of the same, than of different denominations. Simi¬ 
larity of opinion, perhaps more than any thing else, 
groups men naturally together in separate church organ¬ 
ization. Hence, when they begin to differ upon those 
points which harmonize them, they feel the tendency to 
separate. If issues are made, and controversy arises, 
the danger of alienation increases, until, from this cause 
alone, all the dreaded evils of a torn and distracted 
church may arise. 

Now, history shows that we are at all times liable to 
this, and that caution is always appropriate. But let us 
examine our special exposures from different views of 
the doctrine of holiness. We have observed with some 
concern an increasing disposition to derive or modify 
our opinions from the cast of our own minds. To some, 
the idea of any separate and special attention to the 
work of holiness is disagreeable, and hence the tendency 
to magnify all the evils which have been incidentally 
connected with such efforts. Indeed, the decided influ¬ 
ence of this feeling of aversion, in producing the opinion 
that sanctification and regeneration are identical,—that 
no Christian has need of being cleansed from impurities, 
cannot be doubted by a logical mind or a careful observer. 
This same reluctance to act may account also for the 
opinion that, though the work of sanctification is not 
completed in conversion, its progress and perfection are 


IN ITS APPEALS. 


323 

implied and secured in the converted state, without fixing 
the eye upon it,—without hungering and thirsting after 
it,—without praying, agonizing and believing for it;— 
that with ordinary faithfulness the work will be gradu¬ 
ally, but imperceptibly accomplished, and that it is use¬ 
less, nay, even vicious, to think of it, speak of it, labor 
for it distinctively. 

On the other hand, an individual filled with the joy 
of perfect love may feel a strong security against the 
power of sin. He sees nothing in his own heart that 
can permit affinity with the devil; and, taking his prin¬ 
ciples from the cast of his own mind, he believes that 
there is a state of grace which is beyond the reach of 
contingency, and thus looks upon all acquisitions less 
than this as defective Christianity. 

Now, the source of all these novelties in doctrine is 
evidently relying upon our own minds to teach us the 
truth,—looking at certain facts, tendencies and prefer¬ 
ences within,—admiring them,—supposing them to be 
general instead of simply special or individual, as they 
are, and announcing as general principles our own con¬ 
ceits. But the opinions of individuals formed from this 
variable standard are nearly as various as their numbers. 
Hence issue controversies and alienation of feeling, to 
the great injury of the church. 

The Bible is the only standard of doctrine. No 
schism can be truly grounded in it. Let us cease from 
ourselves, and go to the fountain. In this way only can 
we see eye to eye, and save the church from hazardous 
speculations and experiments. Discoveries above holi¬ 
ness are just as dangerous and as inevitably false as dis¬ 
coveries below it. Innovations which claim to free 


324 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


humanity from its frailties, its liabilities to error, and its 
exposure to sin, are as perilous to the souls of men as 
those which would reconcile the claims of God and the 
provisions of the gospel with wilful transgression, or vol¬ 
untary remaining depravity. God’s word gives not the 
slightest countenance to either, though a man’s own 
feelings and opinions may. / 

Let no one say, “ I cannot help my belief.” Nay, 
but you have adopted an unauthorized standard of faith. 
Every one of us can, if we will, renounce this standard, 
and go to the living, unchangeable word. The fathers 
may tell us much truth, but they may also tell us error. 
Creeds and standard authors may be true exponents of 
Bible doctrine, but only so far as they are, can they be 
relied upon to aid our investigations, and teach us the 
way of full salvation. The views of the great Wesley 
may be regarded as a clear, safe and full exhibition of 
the teachings of revelation upon the great doctrine of 
holiness. But we dare not appeal to his writings as the 
authoritative teaching on this vital subject. We can 
claim nothing more than that he was made by the grace 
of God a very transparent medium through which divine 
light poured out from the Bible upon the world. It is 
only because he kept so closely to the Scriptures in his 
exposition of the doctrine, that so much safety, harmony 
and prosperity have resulted from strict adherence to his 
standard, and we have been involved in endless ques¬ 
tions and imminent peril by stopping a particle below or 
passing a step beyond it. We say his standard—we 
mean nothing more nor less than the Bible. If we keep 
to this we may stop all our controversies, repudiate all 
improvements, and simply pray for, believe for, and 


IN ITS APPEALS. 


325 


experience that “ holiness without which no man shall 
see the Lord/’ and in our mission of love, “ spread 
scriptural holiness over these lands.” If we speculate, 
argue, and array man against man, we shall fail to experi¬ 
ment, and live this glorious blessing, and shall rend the 
body of Christ. 

2 . A want of charity may lead to schism. Should 
brethren who cannot, or do not, see alike upon the great 
liberty of the gospel, indulge personal aversion to each 
other,—should they unkindly question each other’s 
motives or sincerity, speak lightly of their professions, 
or dwell upon their frailties, nothing could be more cer¬ 
tain than distraction and ultimate serious division in the 
church of God. Should you, my brethren, who pro¬ 
fess perfect love, conceive the impossibility of bringing 
up the great body of the church to the standard which 
you have reached in experience, and hence feel like 
giving them up, and begin practically to withdraw your¬ 
selves from them, you would inevitably bring upon 
yourselves the crime of schism. Any thing like the 
spirit, “ Stand aside, I am more holy than thou,” is 
unworthy of you—-is a device of the devil to cut you 
off from the sympathies of the church in general, and 
destroy your usefulness. We do not deny that there 
may be society, even in the church, which you cannot 
intimately fellowship. We know it is possible that 
conduct may be tolerated by feeble and unfaithful dis¬ 
cipline, which it will be your imperative duty, in meek¬ 
ness, to reprove. We are aware that there is a very 
important sense in which distinctness from worldly pro¬ 
fessors is indispensable to your retaining the blessing of 
perfect love. But surely you will not be known from 
28 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


the rest by any want of Christian charity, or by any¬ 
thing like a spirit of proscription. This is certainly not 
in the grace you have professed. It is no part of it. 
It may be artfully made to supersede it, and you may 
thus become a victim to a most ruinous delusion. 

True, you are to be distinct from worldly professors, 
but it will be by “ denying yourself of all ungodliness 
and worldly lust, and living soberly, righteously and 
godly in this present evil world.” You must be distinct 
even from justified Christians, but only by being more 
deeply humble; by greater simplicity and sweetness of 
spirit; by loving them more tenderly, and laboring for 
them and the world more indefatigably and successfully 
than would otherwise be possible. Thus not schism, 
but strong and indissoluble Christian union, will be the 
result of increased attention to the doctrine of holiness. 

3 . Any organization of the friends of holiness as a 
distinct work, is highly dangerous. It must lead to 
invidious distinctions which are by no means intended 
by the friends of the measure. It must place distance, 
more or less, between the members of such associations 
and their brethren, and lead to jealousies, heart-burnings 
and divisions. It must cut off from the sympathies of 
the masses, those whose special graces are intended by 
our heavenly Father to be like leaven in the measures of 
meal,—to permeate the entire church. 

The example of Mr. Wesley furnishes no precedent 
for such a measure ; for surely there is a wide difference 
between the moral and religious condition of the evan¬ 
gelical churches of the present day, with all their imper¬ 
fections, and the secular, worldly and corrupt establish¬ 
ment within which he formed his societies. Besides, he 


IN ITS APPEALS. 


327 


organized upon no one idea, however central and control- 
ling. His special fellowship included distinctly and 
professedly the whole scheme of gospel morality and 
piety, as every Christian fellowship should, all tending, 
to be sure, “to spread scriptural holiness over these 
lands.” This very organization and other evangelical 
churches exist for us, rendering any other unnecessary. 

As the advocates of entire sanctification, we have no 
new revelations for the world; no novel doctrines to 
advance; no startling discoveries in the means of grace. 
Our object is as old as the date of redemption. Our 
prayer for ourselves is the same as that breathed by the 
devout psalmist, “ Create in me a clean heart, O God,” 
—for others, identical with that of the apostle, “The 
very God of peace sanctify you wholly; ” and of the 
adorable Savior, “ Sanctify them through thy truth,— 
thy word is truth.” Our theory is as simple, as com¬ 
prehensive, as powerful, and as true, as the apostolic 
announcement, “The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth 
us from all sin.” Here we have solid rock. Here let 
us stand against the powers of earth and hell. Don’t 
let us add a thing—venture a single speculation, or 
attempt a single improvement; but exert all our ener¬ 
gies, and all the power of our faith, to get the blood 
applied to our own hearts and the hearts of others. 
Nothing more than this, and, in the name of God, 
nothing less. 

So shall not “ our good be evil spoken of,” and the 
doctrine of evangelical holiness preached, experienced, 
extended, shall prove in the future as, in its purity, it 
has in the past, the highest conservative power of the 
church. 


328 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


FOURTH : THIS SACRED PROFESSION MUST BE VINDICATED. 

It cannot be taken simply upon its own strength. It 
speaks of a work of grace so naturally improbable—so 
far from being true of the great mass of believers, that 
no mere declaration can command the faith of the world. 
It must be confessed that, to all but thinking minds, 
sound theologians, or persons of deep experience, the 
probabilities are against it. There is much plausibility 
in the thought that human depravity is so deep, so all- 
pervading, so concealed, and human consciousness and 
reason are so defective that a man may even honestly 
think he is cleansed from all sin when he is very far 
from it. Indeed, without good and sufficient sustaining 
evidence, the profession cannot be received. There are 
many known defects in human nature in its best earthly 
condition, which, however capable of clear and satisfac¬ 
tory explanation by the acute theologian, are most nat¬ 
urally attributed, by the world, and even professors of 
religion, to remaining depravity. The credibility of 
this great work must not, therefore, be made to rest 
upon a priori evidence. The only cause which men can 
see, and which they are disposed to take into the account, 
does not contain the alleged effect—does not suggest it, 
but quite the contrary. And it is not discreet to over¬ 
tax the faith of men, especially of sincere men. The 
effect is always adverse to the intention. 

Besides, it must not be forgotten that men generally 
are in an unbelieving state with regard to this blessing. 
As there is no a priori probability, so far as they can 
see, that any man is sanctified wholly, so there is no a 
priori tendency in them to believe it, upon any evidence 


IN ITS APPEALS. 


329 


whatever. The minds of most men are sceptical upon 
this point, as upon most others, involved in experimen¬ 
tal Christianity, not only from inward corruption, which 
spontaneously resists all truth, but from choice and 
habit. It is self-reproving to admit that a state of 
purity so superior to their own is practicable and within 
their reach—that before their eyes there are demonstra¬ 
tions of a power, available to all sinners, which might 
long since have restored them to the image of their 
Maker; and hence that they have assumed a fearful res¬ 
ponsibility in remaining so long under the total or par¬ 
tial influence of inward sin. They choose, therefore, in 
self-defence to deny the fact. And this, commenced so 
early, has been persisted in so long, that it has become 
a fixed habit of the mind. It is the first result of lis¬ 
tening to a profession of perfect love, and is so much a 
part of the man, that he is likely to have no idea of the 
sophistry he is practising upon himself. He would, it 
is true, be startled by the thought of denying that it is 
desirable to he delivered from all sin,—that it is possi¬ 
ble,—that it is necessary; but really feels that he has 
no reason, even to apologize, for denying positively that 
any man on earth is delivered from all sin! How gen¬ 
eral this sceptical tendency is, we need not attempt to 
show you, brethren. You have met it everywhere. 
You have felt its chilling effects in the very bosom of 
the church. Hard enough to endure, coming from an 
unbelieving world, it has grieved you to the heart when 
you have been compelled to recognize it in the looks, 
the words, and the conduct of those you tenderly love 
in the membership, and even in the ministry. 

One other consideration we must mention. There is 
28 * 


330 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


opposition to holiness of which its professors must 
become the direct objects. No man can, even as an 
advocate, and much less by open profession, identify 
himself with a cause which contains so much of reproof 
to sin, and which presents an antagonism so direct and 
palpable to the endeared vices and palliated corruptions 
of the world, without feeling the force of its self-res¬ 
pect, of its deeply rooted prejudices, and of its chal¬ 
lenged resentment. “ The world will love its own. and 
them only.” And just in proportion as we dissent from 
its fashionable sins, we shall provoke its resistance. 

Now, to meet this opposition with mere profession—to 
expose ourselves to the charge of gross inconsistency, 
presenting no evidence of the reality which we formally 
claim, is not only to secure the contempt of men, but 
to endanger the system which we so totally misrep¬ 
resent. Opposition to a mere fiction is an easy task 
To disprove and hold up to ridicule, claims which have 
no real foundation, requires no skill in logic, no deep 
malice at heart. But the grievous fact is, that, from 
precisely this position, multitudes impose upon them- 
.selves and others by arguing from the concrete to the 
abstract,—from the particular to the general; and hence 
they say, with an air of triumph, here is another demon¬ 
stration of the utter falseness of this dogma of Chris¬ 
tian perfection,—of the utter impracticability of this, as 
well as all other schemes of human perfectibility. 
Against all this, which so clearly disregards the testi¬ 
mony of revelation, and dishonors the Savior, it is of 
no use to oppose mere profession. If this is all, it is 
better to suffer in silence, or to be content with oppos¬ 
ing true logic to sophistry, and battling by sound theo- 


IN ITS APPEALS. 


331 


logical laws for the truth as it is in Jesus. All these 
facts, in the state and tendencies of the world, we 
adduce, not to discourage profession. Far from it. 
We have shown that all consistent profession of reli¬ 
gion is an attempt, in humbleness and sincerity, to 
tell the truth, and the more profound and pervading 
the truth, the more gratefully and joyously should we 
tell it. We admit and even urge that we are not 
excused from being living witnesses to the fact that the 
blood of Jesus has cleansed us from all sin, by the 
knowledge that our testimony will be rejected,—that 
men will take occasion to attack, with renewed zeal and 
bitterness, the glorious doctrine of full salvation. Truth 
is not responsible for error ; the right for the wrong ; 
light for darkness. The faithfulness of the Savior, of his 
apostles, and martyrs was the occasion of bitter revil- 
ings, of fearful blasphemy and murder ! but the cause 
lay deep in the hearts of corruption whence these bit¬ 
ter wrongs arose. No; we are to declare the whole 
counsel of God, whether men will hear or forbear. 
With all the solemnities of sworn witnesses, we are 
bound at the proper time to “ tell the truth, the whole 
truth, and nothing but the truth.” The testimony of 
the Spirit is to be honored for its own sake; and on the 
naked authority of this inward witness, whatever our 
stage of advancement, we are to tell what the Lord 
hath done for our souls. 

But this is not our own defence. Profession is not 
our weapon, but the simple exposure of the object of 
attack. This is the thing to be vindicated against the 
improbabilities in the nature of the case ; against the 
natural scepticism and the sinful opposition of men; 


332 THE CENTRAL IDEA 

and the vindication is practicable; the means of suc¬ 
cessful and triumphant vindication are within our reach, 
and we are under the most sacred and imperative obli¬ 
gations to use them, for the honor of our revered prin¬ 
ciples, for the protection of our individual rights, for 
the deliverance of souls from the power of sophistry, 
the dominion of prejudice and the oppression of the 
devil, and for the glory of Christ, whose blood, in 
spite of all cavil and neglect, has power to cleanse from 
all sin. 

1. The spirit of the sanctified must vindicate the pro¬ 
fession. Such amazing grace cannot be hid in the 
heart. A light so pure, and bright, and constantly 
increasing, will shine out to the view of men. A tree 
so good will bear good fruit. 

The spirit which characterizes the man wholly sancti¬ 
fied, is a clear and steady vindication of his profession. 
It is the spirit of love—of perfect love. There is a 
marked difference between the love which is the fruit of 
partial, and that which is the result of entire sanctifica¬ 
tion,—love which may co-exist or alternate with fear, 
and “ perfect love which casteth out fear.” It is much 
weaker, and hence more easily overcome. It is indeed 
warm, and fresh, and glowing, when the soul is first 
converted ; and would seem to be able to contend with 
men and devils. But the time of its trial comes on. It 
has a rival within. Undue love of self is only con¬ 
quered, not destroyed. And this springs up, with its 
strong importunate demands, in a thousand forms. It 
seeks, and, to the grief of the Spirit, not unfrequently 
gains, the ascendency. Love to God resists it, strug¬ 
gles against it, and, by the help of grace, puts it down. 


IN ITS APPEALS. 


SSS 


Otherwise condemnation would arise. But the contest 
reveals the feebleness of the power. God knows how 
fearful, and often doubtful, is the strife, — how the 
soul’s affections are held in equipoise, hardly knowing 
which way the scale will turn. The vibration is alarm¬ 
ing, as self on the one hand, enlarges and increases in 
our esteem, as we gaze upon it, see its beauties, and feel 
its cravings, and gradually, almost imperceptibly, add the 
weight of consent to its demands,—and our Savior, on 
the other, by the charms of his character, the pleadings 
of his tears and blood, appeals to the heart he has 
claimed, and received, and renewed, for its undivided 
love. Who has not felt this vibration ? Who has not 
been conscious of this rivalry within him ? and the world, 
with its wealth, its honors, its pleasures, has come in 
with its claims, its demands to be loved even in com¬ 
parison with God, and in opposition to him, and has 
found its response in the soul not sanctified wholly, 
conspiring with remaining love of self, to rival and 
overpower the Christian love which has been kindled 
within. It must battle moreover with the fears of the 
heart. The way is new, and apparently adventurous. 
What wonder that the unpractised Christian should fear 
a false step, and tremble lest a. fall from this giddy 
height, should dash him to ruins ! And the foes he 
must meet—alas! they are not unknown to him. Until 
a few days since, they were his intimate friends! The 
world, the flesh, and the devil—he hailed them broth¬ 
ers, until God opened his eyes; and he may well fear 
the power of their fascinating friendship. It is natural 
that his heart should flutter at the prospect of meeting 
them face to face, under solemn orders and covenant to 


334 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


renounce them, and abandon them forever, despite their 
tantalizing smiles, and menacing frowns. And much 
more certainly will the spirit sink with fear for the con¬ 
flict, after it has tried the power of their combined 
malevolence and skill, and perhaps been left again and 
again bleeding and dying from its wounds in the strife. 
This, is the revelation of its feebleness. And it must 
needs be further tried by “ the lust of the flesh, and the 
lust of the eyes and the pride of life.” A fearful array 
of antagonist feelings will arise from within, to oppose, 
mingle with, and if possible overwhelm it. And the 
weakness and foibles of men will try it. The wicked¬ 
ness, the meanness, and the opposition of men will pro¬ 
voke it. Untoward circumstances will expose it to 
defeat, and even utter overthrow, while yet its habits 
are unsettled and its power is undeveloped. 

Let now this unholy love of the creature, self, and 
the world, be utterly eradicated; let the cleansing power 
of the Holy Ghost remove all inward vileness, ail resis¬ 
tance to divine love, all fear. Let the consecrated soul, 
in its intellections, its passions, and its will, become once 
more a unit. Let love—“ perfect love”—dissolve, 
pervade, and control the whole man, and wield every 
power of body and mind, in contest with the two 
remaining foes, the devil and the world, now straining 
every nerve with tenfold energy, and you shall see what 
we mean by the spirit which vindicates the profession of 
holiness. We have now before us a realization of that 
matured, consolidated, and well developed power of the 
Christian religion, expressed in heaven’s holy law, “ Thou 
shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and 
with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all 


IN ITS APPEALS. 


335 


thy strength; and thou shalt love thy neighbor as thy¬ 
self.” And this is the spirit which is revealed in the 
life. 

How truthful it is in its representations of God’s moral 
law! It proposes no amendment to that stringent code, 
which exacts every thought and feeling, every word and 
action, for the glory of God. It would abate nothing of 
these high demands, nor vary, in the slightest degree, 
the will of Jehovah. With this will it harmonizes 
sweetly and perfectly, though it reveals crosses, and 
perils, and sufferings, more terrible than ever seen before. 
The spirit breathed in the sanctified state says, “ It is 
the Lord, let him do as seemeth him good.” Under 
this rule, how firm and uncompromising is the soul, 
however constitutionally timid and shrinking, in meet¬ 
ing its foes, and condemning sin, in whatever form it 
appears, whether in “ high places ” or low. It is the 
spirit of moral heroism, which trembles at nothing but 
the frown of God, and turns aside for no foe, however 
terrific in countenance, or formidable in power. 

But at the same time what meekness, what humility, 
what tenderness, it reveals! How conscious of the utter 
weakness of all human power, how utterly dependent 
upon the might of God, how solely confiding in the 
blood of Christ, and the cleansing, vitalizing energy of 
the Holy Spirit! Ho loftiness in bearing, no self-con¬ 
ceit in countenance, no boasting of its own purity or 
achievements, no severe denunciations of the less expe¬ 
rienced children of God, nothing harsh or censorious in 
word or temper. Kind, and gentle, and forgiving to 
all, compassionate even to the vile and the ungrateful; 
seeking all occasions to return good for evil, and para- 


336 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


lyze an enemy by the power of love. A spirit so sweet, 
so invariably pure, is the noblest similitude of God on 
earth. It is God living, and breathing, and acting in 
the soul of man, and through these organs of clay. 

And this spirit carries itself into all the social rela¬ 
tions and business of life. He who is thus the embodi¬ 
ment of love is not, it is true, the less alive to a sense of 
justice, is no better prepared to give his tacit sanction to 
the attempts of iniquity to defraud a fellow man of his 
equitable rights. He is not thereby slack in his esti¬ 
mate of business laws, or quiescent amid the arch decep¬ 
tions of a grasping world. His stern love of the right, 
will allow of nothing which could compromise it, with¬ 
out firm remonstrance and vindication. But his sense 
of justice passes over to the account of his fellow, as 
well as of himself. No longer anxious to get the 
advantage in trade, he is as sincerely interested for the 
rights of the one party as the other ;—and then so trans¬ 
parent in his words, his looks, his actions, that he dis¬ 
arms suspicion, and vindicates confidence. When he 
meets his friends in social life, he reveals nothing of. the 
ascetic, or the bigot, or the mere enthusiast. He is 
simply, there and on all occasions, a Christian—a man of 
God. The deep repose of his countenance shows him 
proof alike against the sullen gloom of monasticism, and 
the trifling levity of the man of pleasure. Cheerful in 
the enjoyment of the purest bliss and highest hopes that 
ever glowed in the bosom of a mortal, and solemnly 
earnest in the accomplishment of the loftiest mission 
that ever commanded the heart, or nerved the energies 
of mind, he diffuses everywhere joy to the good, and 
terror to the bad ; and all this by the spirit which God has 


IN ITS APPEALS. 


337 


given him. His is the work of benevolence, in all its con¬ 
ditions. Ho form of humanity so low that he despises the 
priceless gem which it encloses. Ho labor of love so 
humble, so offensive to a creature of sense, so exacting 
upon the sensibilities of the heart, or the muscles or nerves 
of the body, or the means in his hands, as that he shrinks 
from its performance, or becomes weary of its burdens. 
An angel of mercy, by the couch of the sick and the 
dying, in the abode of poverty and helpless wretched¬ 
ness, and the very hand of the church in its deep- 
reachings after low, degraded, but immortal man. 

In the prayer meeting, in the class meeting, in the 
conference room, the sweetness of his spirit, the dissolv¬ 
ing power of his love is the life and soul of the whole. 
Hard hearts melt under his prayers, the feeble wax 
strong under his exhortations, darkness flees before the 
burning glories of the cross, seen and felt in the spirit of 
the consecrated one. O, what loveliness and power it 
reveals ! Whoever possesses this spirit may safely pro¬ 
fess to be perfect in love. 

2. Increased usefulness must vindicate this profession. 
We are aware that there is no coercion in religion. 
Mind is free, and can, if it will, resist all kinds of 
saving influence. Voluntary unbelief baffled the skill 
and power of the Savior, while upon earth; and every 
day, sinful men depart to hell, because they resist the 
Holy Ghost. Christians can never, therefore, in the 
absolute sense, be held responsible for the salvation of 
others. And yet there is ground of a most fearful 
responsibility, in behalf of the church and the world. 
If we cannot absolutely save men, we can influence their 

salvation, and whatever we can do, to rouse them from 
29 


338 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


their slumbers, to pour light upon their darkness, to guide 
them to the Savior, to secure them a home in heaven, 
we are bound to do. For the full extent of our possi¬ 
ble influence over the moral destinies of the world, we 
shall unquestionably be held accountable at the judg¬ 
ment. Whatever God has given, he will undoubtedly 
require; and this rule is clearly applicable to those who 
have been washed from all impurity in the blood of the 
Lamb. Mark, my brethren, the divine announcement 
of this stern and equitable law of responsibility—“ unto 
whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much 
required.” 

Now, it is not mere teaching in the abstract, however 
correct it may be, that is the efficient instrument of sal¬ 
vation. More depends upon the spirit, which prompts 
and pervades it—upon the degree of grace, of holiness, 
of religious power from which it comes. Doubtless the 
warmth, the freshness of early love, the temperament of 
the individual, his talents, learning, experience, zeal, all 
come in to modify particular effect. But the controlling 
power, the grand pervading influence of usefulness, is 
piety; and it must be true that increase of piety, in 
every case, will give increased usefulness. “The tree 
is known by its fruit,” is a divine maxim of universal 
application. The state of grace which you profess, if 
it really exist, cannot conceal itself. Its fruit will 
appear. “Every branch in me,” saith the Savior, 
“ that beareth fruit, he purgeth it that it may bring forth 
more fruit.” We must therefore state plainly, that 
where no more than ordinary power of usefulness 
appears, when no marked religious effects are realized, 
there is strong reason to doubt whether entire sanctifi- 


IN ITS APPEALS. 


339 


cation exists. We utter so stern a rule with trembling. 
We know we must be tried by it. We know not who 
may be cut off by it. We know not what loved ones 
will be thrown into agonizing doubt by it. God forbid 
that it should do harm. We would not write it, if we 
did not feel that its truth imperatively controls us. 

But let us see. You are supposed to have greatly 
increased your power with God. Faith, with you, is 
not the product of emergency. It is not called up by 
special exertions, sometimes strong, and sometimes so fee¬ 
ble that you tremble with fear that it is lost altogether,— 
sometimes distinctly beholding Christ your Savior, and 
sometimes unable to penetrate the veil, which obscures 
him,—sometimes grasping the promises, and sometimes 
unable to trust them. This was, once, the style of your 
faith ; and even then, you could sometimes take hold of 
God, and command a power which made Satan tremble 
on his throne. Frequently, perhaps, you called down, 
upon saints and sinners, a measure of divine influence, 
which filled them with comfort and praise, with awe and 
terror. 

Now, faith is your life, your breath, your easiest, 
strongest, most habitual mental exercise. Not that you 
are unchangeable, like God. Poor enfeebled human 
nature must have its variations. But they must not 
paralyze the faith of the perfect Christian—must not 
break its hold upon the crucified, nor produce distrust 
of what Jehovah says. There may be “heaviness 
through manifold temptation,” but no letting go the 
hold upon the tempter’s conqueror. There may be 
clouds and darkness around the cross, but the trust in 
him who bled, is firm and unflinching. Faith, clear. 


340 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


strong, steady, and commanding, is the very life of per¬ 
fect love. And the effect of this upon your power in 
prayer, is marked and decisive. With this unyielding 
faith, you pray for the brethren. And are they to feel 
no special grace in answer ? You plead with God to 
rouse the slumbering, convict the impure, and create the 
immortal thirst for full redemption, which will not, can¬ 
not rest, until it is realized ; and may you expect to see 
no movings of the mighty deep? Will no pungent 
sorrow for inbred sin, no weeping confessions of unfaith¬ 
fulness, no groanings for liberty, follow these fervent 
constant pleadings of such prevailing faith? Impos¬ 
sible ! God will not deny himself. There will be 
trouble somewhere, conviction for impurity somewhere, 
a struggle for clean hearts somewhere, just as sure as 
the “ faith that works by love and purifies the heart ” 
is in lively exercise. There may be stout resistance,— 
brethren may speculate, criticize, and even unjustly 
censure,—may doubt, fear the effects, postpone the 
consecration, or treat the cause of holiness with entire 
neglect ; but, in answer to the pleadings of that faith 
which supports perfect love, the Holy Spirit will 
disturb their repose, and. there surely will be some¬ 
where a crying out for full salvation. We, therefore, 
put it down as a fact inevitable, that, if holiness is 
enjoyed and lived, it will be diffused. 

And the same, we are certain, must be true in regard 
to sinners. They cannot, all and forever, remain quiet, 
when this power with God calls for his awakening Spirit. 
The entreaties of Christ’s own loved ones,—of those 
who are honored with rest upon his very bosom, the 
very throbbings of whose hearts he feels, and who “ plead 


IN ITS APPEALS. 


341 


with him as one would plead with a friend/’ must pre¬ 
vail. Heaven will be moved by the power of faithful 
prayer, and some gracious results will be seen abroad,— 
the same perhaps in kind which are frequently seen in the 
church when only ordinary grace is felt and brought to 
bear. The same in kind, but vastly more. It is not 
possible that perfect purity exists where none is felt,— 
where none is operative. We might appeal to facts. 
We have them, within our own limited observation, suf¬ 
ficient to fill a volume. But we have not room to 
introduce them here. We will throw ourselves upon the 
unalterable assurance of the adorable Savior: “ Whatso¬ 
ever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the 
Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any¬ 
thing in my name, I will do it.” Would to God that 
these words of power were realized by the church. 

And there are other means than prayer, to be increased 
in efficiency by the blessing of holiness. The spirit of 
the sanctified cannot be inoperative. It is felt and 
acknowledged, wherever it exists. Without a word, it 
reproves sin so directly, so forcibly, that the sinner 
trembles under its stern rebukes. It leads the wanderer 
back to God. It persuades with silent, but pathetic 
love, the regenerate to seek for holiness. It draws, like 
the heart of Jesus, by its powerful attraction, the souls 
of believers upwards, and of guilty sinners away from 
the devil. Religion, “ pure and undefiled,” so enters the 
person, the bearing, the words, the business transactions, 
the daily life of the wholly consecrated, that all men see 
it, and hear it, and feel it when they mingle with them. 
And then, this heart of perfect love, is moved to every 
good word and work. This spirit is seen in pity and 

29 * 


342 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


relief for tlie poor, and tlie distressed, by the side of the 
sick and dying. It shrinks from no crosses, no sacri¬ 
fices, no sufferings, in the cause of the Master. All 
this must have its effect,—must add to the fruit that is 
borne by the ordinary Christian, so that all the world 
may see it. As the mountain stream that glides through 
the vale, reveals its humble track by the freshness of 
the verdure by its side, this fertilizing spirit exhibits its 
power by the thrift and vigor of the graces wherever it 
moves. 

And there is immense additional force in the living 
testimony, in the word of exhortation and warning that 
comes up from these purified hearts, and drops from 
these consecrated lips. If they come from the sacred 
desk, they burn, and glow, and dissolve, wherever they 
fall. If they come from the most obscure and illiterate, 
they go home, with a power that no man can evade. 

Yes, we must vindicate our profession, by the moral 
effects of holiness—actual, visible, practical. And if 
we are bearing no “ more fruit 99 than before we were 
purged, it is time to beware. In this condition, search¬ 
ing self-examination, weeping sorrow, and appropriating 
faith are more becoming than high profession. 

Thus, does the central idea of Christianity make its 
appeal to professors of perfect love. Not an utterance 
in all this earnest plea which is not dictated and required 
by the fact that holiness is the centre of the Christian 
scheme. 


IN ITS APPEALS. 


343 


SEC. n. AN APPEAL TO TIIE GENERAL CHURCH, AND ESPECIALLY 
TO THOSE WHO ARE SANCTIFIED BUT IN PART. 

The deep solemnity of the truths we have reached in. 
this discussion, and especially in the chapter on the cen¬ 
tral idea neglected, must profoundly impress us. The 
want we have ascertained is highly suggestive. 

1. It calls the church to prQfound reflection. Facts 
so immensely important in their bearings cannot be passed 
slightly over. Whoever neglects to consider them 
carefully and thoroughly, must incur a fearful responsi¬ 
bility. Throughout the length and breadth of Zion, let 
us anxiously inquire how much we have lost by depend¬ 
ence upon false remedies for the evils which have threat¬ 
ened us. What intense folly to have speculated so 
much and so wildly upon the means of church renovation 
and power ! What madness to have “ forsaken God, the 
fountain of living waters, and hewn out to ourselves 
cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water! ” 
What a grievous waste of time and strength, in wander¬ 
ing so far for help, when it is just at hand! God calls 
upon the church to examine cautiously the reasons why 
this want exists, why it has continued so long. Shall we 
find the defect in him ? We dare not entertain the thought. 
His infinite perfections, his ample provisions, and his gra¬ 
cious promises forbid it. Alas ! in ourselves alone we 
shall find the cause. Let the search commence more sin¬ 
cerely, more thoroughly, more generally, than ever 
before. The great sin of the church is surely neglect of 
reflection. Here and there may be found individuals 
who are looking intensely into their own hearts, into the 
providences of God, into his holy word, into the history 


344 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


of the church, into the spirit of the age, and into the 
destiny of the race. But this is not the general occupa¬ 
tion of nominal Christians. Oh that we could reach the 
careless multitude, sweeping on to eternity with no just 
estimate of this wondrous being, and its fearful respon¬ 
sibilities ! Stop, brethren ; stop and think. How dread¬ 
ful is the darkness gathering around you! How trem¬ 
bling and faint that life which should be vigorous with 
the energy of God! How deep that depravity which 
defiles Jehovah’s temple! How feeble that power which 
should be clothed with omnipotence ! And how unne¬ 
cessary, how criminal is all this, when our Heavenly 
Father is “ more willing to give the Holy Spirit to them 
that ask him, than parents are to give good gifts to their 
children ! ” Alas ! our thoughtlessness, our indifference, 
will ruin us. Depend upon it, the church will never 
be better, will never clear up her vision, will never 
revive, will never present herself 'without spot, will 
never put on strength, will never accomplish her mis¬ 
sion, till the habit of profound reflection upon the char¬ 
acter of her wants, her privileges, and her responsibili¬ 
ties, can be induced in her members. And to this our 
want calls us this day, with an eloquence of entreaty, 
and an authority of command, which it would seem 
impossible to resist. 

2 . It calls the church to deep humiliation. Can we, 
brethren, look at our sad deficiencies, and retain our 
pride, our arrogance ? Is it a small evil, that we have 
grieved God’s Holy Spirit ; that we have declined the 
light, the life, the holiness and power, which he has 
urged upon us, and spread “ blasting and mildew ” 
through such large portions of the heritage of God ? 


IN ITS APPEALS. 


345 


Human inventions, carnal gratifications deliberately 
chosen, and divine agency superseded! The world 
perishing, and the Heaven-commissioned church no ade¬ 
quate power to reach it S Sin, and misery, and ruin, 
increasing in fearful ratio all around us, and we unable 
to roll back the burning tide ! In God’s name, let us 
bow ourselves into the dust. Let every faithful watch¬ 
man lift up his voice. Let the alarm be sounded from 
land to land, Lorn island to island, from continent to 
continent, until the notes of solemn warning shall fall 
upon the ear of every Christian in this world of sin ! 
Pride, accursed pride! away with it! trample it into the 
earth; and down into the dust, O ye millions of Zion! 
God hath a terrible controversy with you; and if ye will 
not hear, if ye will not humble yourselves, he will cer¬ 
tainly cast you off, and save the world by other hands. 

3. Finally, it calls the church to fervent prayer. The 
church, the whole church; for what will it avail if only 
here and there a weeping few shall pour out their com¬ 
plaints before God ? They may save themselves. They 
may save some far off and near. They may secure refresh¬ 
ing seasons, limited in extent and power. They 
may even save the general church from dissolution 
and divine renunciation. All this they may undoubtedly 
do. But this is not what the present age demands. The 
church and the world require a revival so deep and all- 
pervading as to shake the nations; so pure and glorious 
as to wrap the earth in a flame of light; so benign and 
penetrating as to enter all hearts, and move and mould 
all classes of society, all departments of education, all 
human governments ; so divine as to challenge infidel¬ 
ity, grapple hand to hand with the dreaded power of 


346 


THE CENT UAL IDEA 


sin, and roll back, with the force of Omnipotence, the 
advancing tide of human corruption. 

And how shall this be done, but by the power of the 
Holy Ghost ? The baptism from heaven will put this 
honor upon the church. It is the fire of God to consume 
iniquity. It is the might of Jehovah to conquer the 
world. And how long shall we repose in our weakness ? 
How long shall we live without this transcendent divine 
energy ? * This very day God says to us, “Ask, and it 
shall be given you.” Then let us ask. Let the myriads 
of the church commence the struggle of mighty prayer. 
To faith—firm, clear-sighted, vigorous, combining faith 
God will give this baptism of fire. 

And we see it coming. Already have we heard a 
voice from heaven to the church, saying, “ Arise, shine ; 
for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen 
upon thee. For, behold, darkness shall cover the earth, 
and gross darkness the people ; but the Lord shall rise 
upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And 
the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the 
brightness of thy rising.” Let then the prayer begin, 
and be caught up by every tongue ; let it extend Lorn 
church to church, from land to land, until the fervent, 
persevering, universal cry shall be— 


“ Oh that it now from heaven might fall, 

And all our sins consume ! 

Come, Holy Ghost, for thee we call; 

Spirit of burning, come ! ” 

But, a few earnest words to the brethren personally. 
May we not, for a few moments, lay aside every thing 
but the honest consideration of the state we are in. 


IN ITS APPEALS. 


347 


morally, before God, the call to a holy life, and the 
imperative duty of immediate attention to this call ? The 
searching eye of God is upon us. Probation is rapidly 
expiring, the judgment is at hand. Suffer us in 
humility to inquire, is the tendency to sin still in your 
nature ? Do you feel it rising in opposition to holiness ? 
Does it interfere with your faith, your hope, your love, 
your happiness ? Have you been compelled to war with 
your own souls, when every ransomed power should 
have been on the Lord’s side ? Is it a fact, that after 
all, you have been only partly devoted to God—that 
you have vacillated between Christ and the world, 
heaven and hell—that you have been among'the num¬ 
ber, whose selfish, worldly lives have made bitter work 
for repentance, and brought doubt upon the very truth 
of that religion you have professed ? Alas! how much 
cause for mourning do you now see in these unwelcome 
truths! 

And what are your present views of that mode of 
life which has brought upon you so much weakness, 
suspicion, and peril? Do you look upon it all, even 
now, with indifference? Are you half inclined to 
resent the fidelity which has- uncovered the source of 
these evils within you? Would you prefer to settle 
down again into quietude, with the hope that God will 
somehow, at some future distant time, deliver you from 
your inward depravity ? Be not grieved with us for 
our plainness and fidelity. In the love we bear to you 
and to the bleeding church of the Redeemer, let us say, 
you are almost, if not entirely, backslidden. Already 
contented with corruption in your heart! willing that 
inward foes to your soul, foes to your blessed Master 


348 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


should remain undisturbed!—ready,-even with your own 
hand, to draw around your spirit the veil that has been 
lifted, to show you the deadly evils that remain there!— 
better pleased with the cry of peace, peace, when God 
has not spoken it, “ than with the solemn announcement 
that without holiness you cannot see the Lord; ”—wish¬ 
ing, and half expressing the wish, that the church might 
not he disturbed upon the subject of holiness; that she 
might be suffered to enjoy, without alarm, her carnal 
alliance with the world, in its fashionable pleasures and 
unholy tempers! Alas! these are not “the fruits of 
the Spirit.” Even the justified state, preserved in its 
life and power, abhors sin, and none so much as that 
which rises up from within the soul. Regeneration in 
its lowest state, loves holiness, and pants to be filled 
with it. But is it even yet too late for your souls to 
rally? May not the very fact that these truths are 
unwelcome to you, bring you to reflection, and send you 
again to that blood which is able to cleanse you from all 
sin? How, we beseech you, came your spirits thus 
indifferent to the work of entire purification ? It was 
surely not always thus. No, we are certain there was a 
time when the very appeals at which you now affect to 
smile, would have melted you to tears. How have you 
reached this state in the church, mingling with her 
people, kneeling at her altars, listening to her instruc¬ 
tions, enjoying her confidence, and perhaps her honors ? 
There can be no mistaking the answer. By your own 
confession, you have neglected the command, “Go on 
to perfection.” O, believe it, your only remedy is in 
the very thing you have begun to despise. O, rebuke, 
in agony of grief, on your knees, rebuke this anti* 


IN ITS APPEALS. 


349 


Christian spirit! For Christ’s sake plead for pardon, 
ere a sense of religion has wholly perished out of you. 
And when your evidence of the divine favor is again 
restored, then cry day and night, till the prayer is 
answered, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and 
renew a right spirit within me.” Heaven grant you, 
right early, an answer to your prayer. But if any of 
you conclude still to despise and oppose the doctrine of 
entire sanctification as a distinct work, and discourage 
those who, by prayers and tears, by essays and sermons, 
by precept and example, are struggling night and day 
to revive it in the church, let us entreat you to strive to 
do it, as far as possible, in the language, or at least in 
the style of the Scriptures. Show us your warrant from 
Heaven if you wish us to desist. 

But these are not the prevalent feelings of those who 
are now sanctified in part. What relief to our hearts, 
dear brethren, that so many of you believe, in reality, 
that the work of holiness may be completed in this life; 
that though you have not yet felt its saving and reno¬ 
vating power upon your hearts, you admit its necessity, 
and would gladly welcome any message, or influence, 
from earth or heaven, calculated to stimulate your faith, 
and lead your soul into the ocean of perfect love. 

We find you, it is true, surrounded by great and numer¬ 
ous difficulties. Darkness may brood over your spirits, 
and the way to entire salvation be covered with clouds 
and beset with obstructions. We* know full well the 
misery of that dread suspense, of that vacillation 
between hope and fear; the torture of those sad defeats 
which so frequently result from well-meant but mis¬ 
directed efforts to obtain the blessing. And the Savior 

30 


SbO 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


knows them also; and you are sustained to this hour by 
his gracious sympathy. He is “ touched with the feel¬ 
ing of our infirmities.” What unspeakable consolation 
must it be to reflect, that he has been looking on, in all 
this struggle, not as a stern, relentless judge, but as a 
weeping, sympathizing friend! O, “Let us therefore 
come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain 
mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” 

Difficulties indeed there are, but, thank God, there 
are none but what may be overcome—none but what 
have been overcome a thousand times,—immensely 
greater ones than any we know, were triumphed over 
by Enoch, who found the way to “ walk with God ” 
amid the darkness of the patriarchal age ; by Elijah, who 
secured the blessing, and preserved his integrity, amid 
the bitter taunts and cruel persecutions of Baal’s 
blasphemous prophets; by Paul, whose complete death 
to the world and life to Christ were reached through 
tribulations, which compelled prominent Christians to 
“take joyfully the spoiling of their goods,” and look 
with calm delight upon all the horrors of martyrdom! 
No such obstacles as these obstruct our path. There is, 
it is true, much inattention to the great subject. But 
this can be removed by efforts made in the strength of 
grace. At once we can commence the investigation, by 
reading, meditation, conversation, and prayer ; and we 
can so thoroughly and constantly persevere, as to make 
the mental exercise required habitual. Our prayers 
have not heretofore included, distinctly and importu¬ 
nately, as they should have done, the blessing of perfect 
love, for ourselves and others, but, by the aid of the 
Savior, we can begin the work of prayer upon this sub- 


IN ITS APPEALS. 


351 


ject anew. We can learn to use the prayers for holiness 
furnished us by revelation, and powerfully suggested by 
a sense of our wants. Faith is weak, but the Lord, in 
answer to prayer, will increase it, until it shall wax 
exceeding bold and take the blessing as by storm. Our 
efforts at reform have been superficial, and to a great 
extent misdirected, but surely they may henceforth be 
directed towards the renovation of the heart. Thus, by 
simple means, means entirely within our own reach, the 
struggle for holiness may become general in the church. 
Sermons, and prayers, and conversation will acknowledge 
its claims, encourage to seek it, and faith will speedily 
bring thousands into this glorious light and perfect 
liberty of the sons of God! O happy day! Is it near 
at hand? Would to heaven it might be so. Shall it 
be so ? Every soul must answer for itself. What can 
you gain by delay ? What have you ever gained by 
neglecting the work of entire consecration ? How many 
hard struggles, how many defeats, how many hours off 
bitter regret have you brought upon yourselves by 
declining to appropriate entirely “ the blood that cleans- 
eth from all sin ? ” Alas! how grievous the error, to 
have followed the world more than that “ holiness with¬ 
out which no man shall see the Lord! ” The glory of 
God calls upon the church to arise and put on her 
beautiful garments. Thfe perils of contentment in a 
state of imperfect sanctification, sound their terrific 
alarm in the ears of Zion. The bliss and safety of holi¬ 
ness invite her members to come up at once to their 
exalted privilege. The wants of the world perishing 
around us reiterate the call. The scenes of death and 
the judgment day urge us, with overwhelming power. 


352 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


to the foot of the cross! What is our answer ? ^To 
our brethren of all creeds, <c who love our Lord 
Jesus Christ,” we would say, in the name of God, help 
us if you can; but if you cannot, bear with us. Surely 
in our vigorous, constant, attacks upon all inward and 
outward sin we mean no harm ; we do no harm to you, 
no harm to the world. We claim it as the most exalted 
mission of an immortal mind, to summon the church of 
the living God to the deep experience, and the practical 
demonstration of Christian holiness. To utter this sum¬ 
mons intelligibly, sincerely, affectionately, constantly, is 
a work worthy of a seraph from glory. May Heaven 
grant this honor, yet to thousands who are now trem¬ 
bling with alarm, at every call to an immediate experi¬ 
ence, profession, and practice of the faith of the vener¬ 
ated dead. 

We protest it is no new doctrine we are preaching, it 
is no new struggle in which we are engaged, it is no 
new victory we claim, it is no new profession we make. 
God is our witness for how many ages this very faith 
has been the faith of the living church, how long and 
fierce has been its war with the coldness, the unbelief, 
the worldly-mindedness, the corruptions of men; and* 
yet how many and how glorious have been its triumphs. 
To these very triumphs every bright spirit in heaven is 
indebted for his crown, and upon the success of this 
very faith the salvation of the word depends. This is 
the vindication of our zeal. 


IN ITS APPEALS. 


353 


SEC. m. APPEAL TO THE LEADERS OF THE CHURCH. 

In every church, some are the guides of others. By 
character or office they have prominence and influence. 
Upon such Christians rest high responsibilities. No 
merely natural qualities can fit them for their position. 
It is not amiableness of heart, sternness of intellect or 
elegance of bearing that they are called upon to teach. 
Of simple goodness—the highest style of goodness, they 
are to be models. 

The leader of a class is constantly before his mem¬ 
bers, and the church, and the world, in the spirit and 
character which he actually possesses, and these are deci¬ 
sive of the influence he exerts. Profession is not cer¬ 
tainly based upon reality. It cannot be relied upon to 
determine the reputation of the leader nor the tendency 
of his efforts. To make earnest and continued claims to 
a devout temper of mind, a strong sympathy with the 
wants and sufferings of others, and a lively desire for 
their religious prosperity, can in no sense answer, instead 
of inward and outward holiness. If there be cherished 
depravity—unpardoned sin, it will surely develop itself. 
Devout minds will see and be grieved at it. The 
church, and especially the class, will feel the chill of it. 
It is vain to vociferate and affirm. Even tears cannot 
supply the deficiency. 

In the same proportion are the effects of remaining 
depravity. It is a relief to come before a class with a 
clear sense of acceptance with God,—with a heart 
melted to tenderness, under a sense of forgiving mercy 

and Christian love. A relief!—A blessing indeed, for 
. 30 * 


354 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


which no language can make adequate expression. Happy 
would it be, if the church could be honored and blessed 
with such leaders only. There would be in such com¬ 
munion with God—in such representation of his divine 
prerogatives and power, a conservative, quickening influ¬ 
ence, under which pure spiritual religion would every¬ 
where revive and prosper. But alas! it cannot be 
claimed. Humiliating as is the fact, it must be acknowl¬ 
edged that multitudes of leaders go to their classes late 
or irregularly, because they attach paramount importance 
to secular avocations,—reluctantly, because they have no 
clear and quickening sense of divine forgiveness;—that 
they begin and perhaps continue their exercises in a 
cold, indifferent, mechanical style, because the power of 
divine love is not upon their hearts. To tell the evils 
that result from such unfortunate—we ought to say crim¬ 
inal misrepresentations of the spirit- of our Master, is 
utterly impossible. There is the chill of faith,—the 
paralysis of spiritual life,—the fearful contagion of exam¬ 
ple,—the backsliding of members,—the thin attendance, 
—the weakness of the church, and the general suspicion 
of insincerity pervading the community. Eternity alone 
can reveal the harm to souls. It is surely worth while 
to inquire searchingly into the cause of such fatal ten¬ 
dencies, and if we are not mistaken they will develop 
themselves in a sound discussion of holiness as an 
element of success in the class leader. 

1. We must consider the fact that every form of char¬ 
acter exerts its own silent influence upon the minds of 
others. If the soul of the leader has been entirely con¬ 
secrated to God—cleansed from sin, and filled with 
perfect love, in its numberless involuntary revealings. 


IN ITS APPEALS. 


355 


you shall see none of those earthly longings, those 
ruling creature attachments, those potent secular influ¬ 
ences, which mingle so much of dross, “ with the pure 
gold of the sanctuary.” You will feel none of that 
worldly, selfish spirit, which degrades religion into so 
striking a resemblance to irreligion, which so nearly, 
annihilates the distinction between the kingdom of light, 
and the kingdom of darkness. You cannot see nor feel 
them, because they are not there. By the blood of 
Jesus Christ—by the baptism of the Holy Ghost and of 
fire, they have been cleansed away. When you come 
into the presence of your leader, in the spirit that per¬ 
vades his soul, that illuminates his countenance, that 
quivers upon his lip, sparkles in his eye, and trembles in 
his voice, you realize religion. There, in one instance 
at least, is a living demonstration, apart from all he says, 
of the existence and power of a spiritual Christianity. 
By its quiet, imperceptible agency, it inspires you with a 
dread of the world—an abhorrence of sin—a loathing of 
self. By. its intrinsic charms, it attracts you to the 
Savior, and fills you with unearthly longings after “ the 
fulness of the blessing of the gospel of peace.” Deep 
solemnity rests upon the meeting. There is more of 
heaven than of earth in the class-room. The heart 
tenders and the eye weeps under a sense of the melting 
presence of God. The devout aspirations of the soul 
are kindled afresh, and whatever may have been the 
condition of the member when he came in, he goes out 
saying “ My heart and my flesh crieth out for God—for 
the living God.” 

The personal effect of holiness in a leader is of the 
highest importance. It ought to be so in theory. 


356 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


It is so, in fact; as all men of experience in this 
department of Christian labor can fully attest. How 
easy to get full attendance in the class of such a 
leader. How often does the class become too large 
to remain together, and how difficult the task of 
division; with such fond and devoted attachments, do 
members cleave to' a man whose worth is of God, and 
whose power is in his goodness ! He may be a plain 
man—an illiterate man—a man in humble life ; but he 
bears about him the charms of holy love, and there is a 
cord in the penitent heart striving for spiritual excel¬ 
lence, which responds to the influence of love. 

And this faithful reflection of the Savior’s image is 
not confined to the spiritual vision of the little class. It 
shines out with so pure and steady a light, that all the 
church and world can see it. Not by the intended exer¬ 
tions of the humble man, for that effect,—nor even to his 
own apprehensions, as a peculiarity in his case, elevating 
him above his fellow Christians, and giving him a con¬ 
scious right to say to any of them, “ Stand aside, I am 
holier than thou,”—but by the simple fact that he is all 
the Lord’s. God’s grace has subdued and sanctified 
him. The divine image beams from his countenance. 
The Holy Spirit is soul to his body of Christian profes¬ 
sion and outward forms. It is God—God alone whose 
light is seen—whose power is felt in the feeble worm of 
earth; and none more decidedly and perseveringly than 
he, denies all honor to self, all glorying to the mere 
mortal. The very spirit and fact of his consecration are 
in the renunciation of self, and the installation of his 
divine Master as the object of his adoration, and the 
ground of his glorying. You cannot grieve him more 


IN ITS APPEALS. 


357 


than to elevate his poor unworthy self to the place he 
has assigned to his Savior, and he is thus at once an 
example of perfect humility, and a guide to “ the Lamb 
of God who taketh away the sin of the world.” It is in 
this divine union that the church beholds him, and that 
he becomes a spiritual leader to the hosts of God. What 
would the church do without such guiding minds? 
Who would conserve the great cross-bearing, self- 
denying, humiliating, and saving doctrines of the gospel ? 
Who would represent, exert, and diffuse her spirit and 
power ? Who would give life and energy to her prayer 
meetings, and her benevolent operations ? Who -would 
sustain her reputation before the world when she is 
charged with insincerity,—with supporting an impracti¬ 
cable system, and commending to the people a standard 
of goodness, which never has been, and never can be, 
realized ? Alas! we are deficient enough at all these 
points. But holiness alone vindicates us so far as we 
are capable of vindication. We repeat—a wider than a 
class influence is exerted by holiness in a class leader. The 
honor of his position is conceded to him. He is felt to 
be the man to be among the advance-guard of the army 
of God. His hands are clean—his heart is pure. He 
is able to command the confidence of his brethren, with¬ 
out a word to ask it, or an act to implore it. 

And what power has such a man over the moral feel¬ 
ings, decisions and destinies of men ? Apart from all he 
may say or do, he is a standing demonstration of redemp¬ 
tion by Christ and of the truth of the gospel. Sinners of 
all grades believe in him, and infidels are confounded by 
him. While he lives and his presence is felt, no man dares 
to say the blood of Jesus Christ cannot cleanse from all sin. 


358 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


2. There is much teaching to do in the church of 
God—much besides what can be done by the regular 
pastors. The fathers must teach—ruling .elders and 
deacons must teach—class leaders must teach the young, 
the inexperienced, all classes. For our convictions, and 
even the early endowments of conversion, are but the 
first lessons in the great art of a religious life. Great 
indeed, they are in themselves, great in their revelations 
to the soul—great in their implications and legitimate 
results—but still only “ the first principles of the doc¬ 
trine of Christ; ” and there must be teachers to open up 
to the minds of disciples the mysteries of the kingdom. 
But are we not obliged to say to many who have been 
long in the way, and occupied responsible stations in the 
church—“ When, for the time, ye ought to be teachers, 
ye have need that one teach you again, which be the 
first principles of the oracles of God ; and are become 
such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.” 

Listen for once candidly to the statements of members 
in a class meeting. Observe what defeats they acknowl¬ 
edge in conflict with the devil,—how little is known and 
appreciated of the power of God available to man in his 
trial state,—how imperfectly understood are the privi¬ 
leges and resources of Christians,—how completely the 
enemy might have been foiled by the armor of Christ, 
when he has been victorious,—what heights and depths 
of divine love have been just before them, which, how¬ 
ever, they never have reached, never have thought of,— 
what growth in grace and evangelical power and useful¬ 
ness has been easily at command,—what innumerable 
and pitiable stumblings over trifling obstacles, which, 
had they been mountains, might have been swept away 


IN ITS APPEALS. 


359 


by the energy of faith. Observe all this, and then the 
coming up again of sincere good desires,—the trembling 
utterance of noble resolutions,—the manifest aspirations 
for strength, and progress, and discoveries, which they 
know not how to reach. Then think of the eternal 
verity of those rich and available promises held out in 
the glorious gospel, to every one of these dear disci¬ 
ples,—covering every one of their lamentable failures ; 
solving, with the clearness of light, every practical 
doubt which bewilders them, and applying with won¬ 
derful, even miraculous certainty, to the very exigencies 
of their numerous and fearful struggles. 

And then listen to a “ leader ” attempting their 
instruction, whose experience carries him not a step 
beyond them, who has either never learned, or forgotten 
how to conquer,—who looks not into the crowded 
armory whence their weapons may be drawn,—feels not 
the power which he ought to offer to them,—knows not 
the road through which he ought to lead them over their 
difficulties, and on into the land of Beulah! What sad 
generalizing follows! What pitiable inadequacy in the 
instructions! What unskilful treatment of critical 
cases ! What lamentable sameness and endless repeti¬ 
tion of remark adapted, by the merest accident, if at all, 
to the cases of individuals! See how he leads them up 
to a particular point, and there stops, not knowing how * 
or daring to take them over the place at which he him¬ 
self has been accustomed to pause for years together ; 
sending away his class with no new suggestions suited 
to special cases for the week to come, no advanced posi¬ 
tion gained—no fresh discoveries in the glorious world of 
realities before them; only to come back when the 


360 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


next class day arrives, to rehearse the same defeats and 
pause over the same difficulties to them insuperable! 

Alas! what melancholy, what undeniable facts are all 
these! What wonder that the class room becomes a 
mere place of form or of dread and terror to these mem¬ 
bers,—that its numbers so alarmingly diminish, and that 
so much ado with so little success, is required to main¬ 
tain even the form and authority of so evangelical and 
time-honored an institution. 

Take now a leader of deep experience, who has dared 
to confide in the divine assurance that “the blood of 
Christ cleanseth from all sin ”—who has counted the 
cost and renounced the world, parting forever with its 
carnal indulgencies and sinful pleasures,—who has con¬ 
secrated himself without reservation, to God and his 
cause forever, and thrown himself with a power of faith 
that knows no denial, upon the blood that cleanseth, 
and by constant trust in Christ alone, has preserved 
alive the flame of perfect love ; and mark the difference 
in his leading. With devout breathings after God, he 
listens to every word when a member speaks, observes 
the difference between what is said in mere form, by 
habit or from memory, and the true out-gushings of the 
soul—how far the member has proceeded—where 
stopped—what is the grand defect in his mental habits 
—the special difficulty in his way, the reason why he 
does not go beyond his present position and grow up 
into Christ. His reply is no senseless common place, 
but a palpable hit. This is your difficulty and this is 
your remedy. I have been where you are and in this 
way I gained my victory, the very victory you require. 
What a flood of light is poured upon the darkened 


IN ITS APPEALS. 


361 


heart in a few words fitly chosen ! How clear is the 
manifestation to the soul of a higher life—an attainable 
perfection in holy love ! How difficulties vanish and 
the scheme of Salvation simplifies under the influence 
of deep experience, and he who came to class in doubt 
upon a particular point, goes away with a salutary and 
appropriate lesson. He who came disheartened goes 
away with his soul encouraged, and seeing what is for 
him, and how easily it may be obtained, he resolves to 
obtain it, and if his struggles do not immediately result 
in the highest realization of holiness, their effects are 
seen in the quickened conscience, the ardent breathing 
after a higher spiritual life, and the evident power with 
which he resists evil, and labors for God. 

Under such a leader the whole class moves as by a 
common impulse onward in the divine life. The class 
room is no place of dreaded confinement for a tedious 
hour, but the loved scene of fresh consecrations and 
renewed baptisms of the Holy Ghost. The marked 
effect of holiness in the leader, is seen in the increased 
numbers and regularity of attendance, as well as in 
the growth in grace, and the vigorous Christian life of 
the members. This is not mere a 'priori probability. It 
is history—fully authenticated matter of fact, which we 
have all witnessed so frequently, that the mere statement 
must carry conviction to every reader. We know that 
whatever may be the importance of intelligence and 
character, and experience in a class leader, the grand 
difference after all is in holiness. Some who are really 
illiterate, are vastly better leaders than splendidly edu¬ 
cated men, merely because they drink deeply from the 
fountain of life. 


81 


362 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


3. The members of a class are not only to be impressed 
and instructed; they are to be aroused, and in many 
instances, reclaimed from a guilty apostasy. By a long 
and careful observation, we are convinced that not more 
than about one-third of the members attend class from 
attachment to the institution,—because their hearts are 
warm in the love of God, which they long to tell to 
their companions in the way to heaven. And, excusing 
those who are providentially detained, one-half of the 
remainder perhaps attend with tolerable regularity, from 
a conviction of duty, or possibly, from fear of discipline, 
or, it may be, an unwillingness to grieve or offend the 
leader or preacher. But the other half, alas! are seldom 
or never present. They are busily engaged in the cares 
of the world; gaining a mere subsistence by constant 
and perplexing toil ; accumulating wealth by industry 
or skill in trade ; cultivating a growing and perilous 
attachment to the things that perish with the using, and 
absorbing their leisure in idle gossip or common social¬ 
ity, as circumstances may suggest. What is to be done 
for these ? Has the class-leader no mission to those 
who never meet him in class ? 

It would surely seem so; at least if we judge from 
the established habits of the greater number. The class- 
days come and go, with no special change. The three, 
five, or twelve, are there; the feeling of sadness or 
mortification is endured; prayer and religious communion 
with the few, relieve the spirits, and inspire a little 
hope for the future, and the class is dismissed from care, 
and perhaps even from thought, till the day returns, or 
the leader’s meeting demands the usual financial account. 
Not that there are never serious convictions of sad 


IN ITS APPEALS. 


363 


delinquency—never purposes of amendment. Fre¬ 
quently, no doubt, the leader says, in himself, I am 
really criminally negligent; there are A, B, and C, who 
have not been to class for months, I fear they are back¬ 
sliding—I must go and see them; before another class- 
day, I will surely do it. The moment comes when the 
call should be made. The time might be easily spared, 
but that inward shrinking—that unconquerable reluc¬ 
tance to bear a cross for Christ’s sake, returns. It 
. triumphs again. The duty is delayed, and thus the 
days, the weeks, and even years pass away, and the same 
monotonous call of the list goes on—-the same ominous 
a is entered upon the book. The conference year closes 
with numerous expulsions, or the handing over to a 
successor of the “ body of death ” which has been thus 
accumulating through years of similar negligence. 

What is the explanation of all this ? Is there actually 
no remedy ? Might not these dying ones be sought out 
and revived ? Yes, surely. The Savior has shown us 
what is to be done. The faithful shepherd would 
“ leave the ninety-and-nine ” and betake himself to the 
wilderness, and the mountains, and give himself no rest, 
until “ the lost was found.” If the leader had the state 
of mind which his work requires, he would let no idle 
time go by ; he would force every minor consideration 
to bow, until he had found the wandering, erring one, 
and exhausted every means in his power, to bring him 
back to the Redeemer’s fold. 

Whence this inward aversion to the outward mission 
of his office ? Whence this controlling desire to be 
excused from duty—known, and felt, for months, and 
years ? Alas, there is no disguising it. The remains 


8oI 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


of carnal nature give tlie only true—the sufficient ex¬ 
planation. It is this inward depravity which delays, 
apologizes, remonstrates, utterly refuses when God calls. 
The cross may never, in any state of grace, wholly dis¬ 
appear ; but it may be borne with a heart of loving 
gratitude, for the sake of him to whom the heart, and 
life, and all, are freely and fully consecrated. 

Let this leader but yield to the convictions which he 
has felt, times without number, struggling within him, 
that he ought to be holy—that he is without excuse for 
his delay in realizing the fulness of love, which the 
Savior died to purchase for him; let him part with the 
world in its lusts and attractions, and lay it upon God’s 
altar freely and forever, and with it himself and friends, 
and call them no longer his, but God’s to all eternity; 
let him bathe his soul in the ocean of the Redeemer’s 
blood, and claim, by present prevailing faith, the full 
salvation which the gospel of Christ offers to every child 
of God, and rise up in the possession of that “ holiness 
without which no man shall see the Lord,” and will he 
then shrink from the cross? With his heart melted, 
baptized, overflowing with “perfect love which casteth 
out fear,” will he allow the souls to perish unwarned, 
which are committed to his care ? No, he will not. It 
is impossible. He sees, in a new light, the worth of the 
soul. Its powers of endless enjoyment or suffering rise 
up before him with a magnitude and scope of interest 
he had never before thought of. New views of the 
preciousness of a sinner’s ransom, of the priceless value 
of redeeming blood, and the inestimable importance of 
the divine glory, now fill and command his soul, and he 
longs to labor, and sacrifice and bear crosses for his 


IN ITS APPEALS. 


365 


Master. He has no inward aversion to duty. His will 
no longer rises up in rebellion against the will of God. 
His own will has sunk to deepest, profoundest humility, 
—is lost and swallowed up in the will of his heavenly 
Father. What melting, absorbing gratitude is inspired 
in his purified heart, by the intimation that there is an 
opportunity anywhere, to do a little for God—that he 
who reigns the Sovereign of the universe, will deign 
to use his humble services anywhere, in any labor, for 
the promotion of his glory. It is enough. Crosses and 
sufferings, persecutions and trials, are all rich in the 
blessing of exalted privilege, when endured for him 
whom his whole soul loveth. No lingering now—no 
conferring with flesh and blood—no seeking excuses to 
postpone the mission of love which is so plainly his 
duty in pursuit of a soul wandering upon the dark 
mountains, and in danger every moment of dropping 
into hell. He goes—goes before he has had time to 
estimate difficulties, and give place to the devil. And 
when he finds his absent brother, he is with him, not in 
a spirit of censoriousness and acrimony—not tiiere to 
abuse and persecute him, to rouse his resentment by 
official denunciation and menace. Far from it. He is 
there breathing the benign and heavenly spirit of his 
Master. There to convince, to subdue and win the 
erring brother—there to bring the heart of living 
Christian sympathy into contact with that cold and 
formal piety or worldly death, and warm it into fife 
again—there to show and cause his friend to feel the 
amazing power of holy love. And does he succeed ? 
Generally he does. In a large majority of instances he 

breaks down the spirit that was becoming hard and 
31 * 


366 


T HE CENTRAL IDEA- 


stubborn, and brings back to the fold the straying one. 
And what a thrill of joy his presence gives, when he is 
seen again in the class-room, by the little group he had 
long left to mourn over his loss. With united peni¬ 
tence and faith, with mortification and joy does he once 
more blend his prayers, confessions, and tears with those 
he once so dearly loved. He comes again and again, and 
finds at length, the well of water within him, springing 
up, into everlasting life. Others have been reached 
in the same way. They have heard the glad news, and 
been affected by it. God has laid to his helping hand, 
and soon it is rumored about that Brother A.’s class-room 
is filled. There is a revival in his class. The preacher 
goes in and catches, or, what is better, increases the 
flame. The work spreads from heart to heart, from 
class to class, until the whole church is on fire. 

Surely this is no fancy sketch—no mere a priori 
reasoning. True it is a priori demonstration itself. It 
is as irresistible as the presence and power of a cause, 
in its legitimate effect. But it is not merely this, for 
who has not seen it again and again ? Who has not 
marked the amazing power of grace, and especially of 
full salvation, to make a successful leader of a man of 
even small natural resources ; and to send a man, who, 
in a state of only ordinary piety, had been idly lingering 
at home, while his members are backsliding, away from 
his class, out in pursuit of them, until he comes back 
rejoicing over the prodigaTs return? 

4. There is surely immense moral power in the influ¬ 
ence of leading laymen. Under the authorized minis¬ 
try lay-deacons ap.d elders, trustees, stewards, Sab¬ 
bath-school superintendents and teachers, colporteurs. 


IN ITS APPEALS. 


367 


exporters and lay-ministers, as well as class leaders, 
stand out before the church as conductors of the sacra¬ 
mental host. If they are cold, selfish and earthly, how 
chilling and fatal is their influence upon the private mem¬ 
bership ! Indeed the presumption is, that they have 
attained this distinction not by superior abilities, or per¬ 
sonal influence alone, but by eminence in piety. By 
this very fact they should have been pointed out as 
models for the great body of the church to follow. 
What wonder if unsanctified tempers and words and 
actions in them should be deemed an excuse for the 
same things in ‘others ! What marvel if a church whose 
secular as well as spiritual agents are worldly, haughty 
and severe in manner—subject the business and direc¬ 
tion of God’s church to the spirit of the world, rather 
than their temporal business to the spirit of Christianity, 
should become a worldly church, lose its power to con¬ 
quer sin, and cease to be respected as a reforming and 
purifying agent in society ! 

Is it not time for these brethren to begin the work of 
self-examination? Deem it not strange if, when this 
work of honest inward investigation is completed, some 
of you—even you who ought to be masters in Israel, are 
not merely without the evidence of perfect love, but 
without the witness of adoption. Alas, what responsi¬ 
bility is here ? Ostensibly leading the church of God to 
a heaven of holiness, but actually, so far as the influence 
of character and example can go, leading it to hell. 
May Heaven be merciful. How long shall this fearful 
accusation be true ? How long will you delay to return, 
with unaffected humility and penitence, like the Prodigal, 
to your Father’s house, and thus, by humble confession 


368 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


and hearty reformation, in some good degree, undo the 
wrongs you have done, and lead the followers of your 
fearful example back once more to the foot of the cross ? 

Happy if, upon thorough comparison with the gospel 
standard, you find yourselves able to say, Abba, Father. 
Happy—and it is so with many, if you have been able so 
far to master your worldly tendencies and triumph over 
your inward corruption as to preserve the approbation 
of God, to resist within the church, in her temporal and 
spiritual leadership, the secularizing tendencies of the 
times. 

But why must you be contented with these small 
attainments ? Why should you retain these inward 
allies of your outward foes, and thus obscure “the 
light that is in you,” dim the lustre of your example, and 
paralyze your strength for the conservative and aggres¬ 
sive battles of the church ? Why should you not, from 
your advanced official position, be the very men to rouse 
the desponding, to encourage the faint-hearted, to warn 
the backsliding, and to lead on the hosts of God to the 
triumphs of full salvation ? But this can only be well 
and powerfully done by the force of example. If you, 
leaders in the army of God, will but yield to your honest 
convictions of the necessity of inward purification—hon¬ 
estly and firmly resolve in the strength of grace to be 
henceforth wholly for God, make the entire consecration, 
throw yourselves, with living, conquering faith, upon the 
merits of Christ for the blood that clean seth, gain the 
evidence of perfect love, and freely, humbly take the 
responsibility of entire salvation and a holy life, what 
sweet subduing joy, what melting triumphant love, will 
fill your soul, and what gracious saving influences 'will 


IN ITS APPEALS. 


369 


go out from your gushing tears, your rapturous smiles, 
your tender sympathy, your transparent teaching, your 
overwhelming appeals! 

Thus come up the pleadings of this grand central idea 
of Christianity to the leaders of the church. What 
response shall be made to them ? 

* 

SEC. IV. APPEALS TO THE CHRISTIAN MINISTRY. 

Respected brethren, we trust you will pardon a few 
honest, affectionate words addressed to you by one who 
claims a place at your feet,—who is conscious of a pro¬ 
founder respect and a deeper love for you than it is in the 
power of language to express. While he trembles under 
the cross, he is compelled to bear it for the sake of his 
master. 

1. Holiness must be preached—God has appointed a 
ministry for that very purpose, “ He gave some apostles, 
and some prophets, and some evangelists, and some 
pastors and teachers, for the perfecting of the saints, for 
the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of 
Christ, till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the 
knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the 
measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.” If, 
therefore, we who have been honored by this appoint¬ 
ment, give no information that there is such a thing as 

“ the perfecting of the saints,”-do not tell what is to 

be done “ for the perfecting of the saints,”—hold out no 
encouragement, make no appeals, and perform no labor 
“ for the perfecting of the saints,” then, instead of bring¬ 
ing the people under our charge, “ in the unity of the 


370 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, nnto a 
perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the ful¬ 
ness of Christ,” they will remain children, “ tossed to and 
fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by 
the sleight of men and cunning craftiness, whereby they 
lie in wait to deceive,” and we shall be held responsible 
at the judgment. *> 

Charitably as we regard the motives of all who stand 
upon the walls of Zion, we believe the solemn vows of 
that ministry which does not aim directly at the promo¬ 
tion of experimental and practical holiness are trifled 
with, in the fearful presence of him who will judge the 
quick and the dead. Philosophy is valuable so far as it 
removes the blindness from our spiritual vision, and 
reveals to our sight the true and the good. Polemics 
are in place when heresies obstruct the triumphant 
march of the King of kings. Rhetoric is available when 
it renders more transparent the medium through which 
the light of Heaven shines upon the world. Oratory is 
at home in the sacred deck, when it is the out-gushing of 
a soul filled with the Holy Ghost. But when any or all 
of these assume to supersede or embellish the message of 
God to dying men, they are a fraud upon the soul so 
grievous and cruel as to deserve the indignation of 
earth, and the wrath of Heaven. O, tell us, brethren 
beloved, what language within the power of man, 
deserves to supersede, or is able to embellish the Heaven- 
inspired summons, “Behold the Lamb of God which 
taketh away the sins of the world,” or the solemn, thrill¬ 
ing announcement—“ The blood of Jesus Christ his Son 
cleanseth us from all sin.” Have we held up so dis¬ 
tinctly as that all could see it, this glorious truth ? 


IN ITS APPEALS. 


371 


Have we called to our aid the power of the divine Spirit— 
the commands, the promises, the examples, the illustra¬ 
tions of the holy Scriptures, to make the duty, the 
privilege, and the way of holiness so plain, that no man 
who has listened to our ministry could mistake it ? If 
this has been universally or even generally done, how 
are we to account for the apparent surprise, with which 
definite announcements of the doctrine, cogent arguments 
in its favor, and rousing appeals upon this subject, to 
the hearts of the people, are received in so many con¬ 
gregations of all denominations of Christians ? Why 
say so many of our dear brethren, “ we have not for 
many years heard it on this wise ? ” Why do those, 
who are inclined to be sceptical in relation to it, charge 
its faithful advocates with preaching a new and a strange 
doctrine in the church, though it is taught in the very 
style of the Scriptures—in the very language of the 
most eminent evangelical divines ? Alas ! the truth can¬ 
not be denied. The great privilege and duty of present 
salvation from all sin, is omitted in so large a number of 
sermons, as to leave many in doubt whether there be 
any such gospel, and grievously to discourage and mis¬ 
lead those whose spirits pant for full redemption. How 
many are permitted to live for years under the sound of 
a ministry in many respects evangelical, without even 
being told, in intelligible and encouraging language, 
that they may be saved from all sin in this life ! And 
how many who have now and then heard of the glorious 
truth, have heard it only to mourn that it was not 
designed for them now! 

The great object of the gospel is to make men 
holy. Sin has corrupted their hearts, paralyzed their 


312 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


intellects, and perverted tlieir wills. It has insinu¬ 
ated itself into their most secret thoughts and feel¬ 
ings, usurped the control of their passions, antago¬ 
nized and broken down a thousand purposes of virtue, 
and exposed them to hell. This is all offensive to God. 
He stands directly opposed to sin, as such. It is not, 
therefore, any one form of it alone, that he seeks to 
destroy. To discriminate in his remedial work, would 
be to tolerate those forms of sin omitted in condem¬ 
nation, and in offers of deliverance. This is impossible 
in him. It is against sin, as a principle, that he directs 
his efforts. True, he treats it in the concrete,—he points 
out and denounces special sins, and seeks in all con¬ 
ceivable modes to show its enormity, and dissuade men 
from indulging in it;—but in all particular instances, it is 
easy to see, that it is because it is sin that he levels against 
it sentence of condemnation. This reveals the general 
principle, and makes every special revelation against sin 
a general one. Hence, in the provisions of the gospel, 
he proposes to pardon, not a part, but all of our sins. 
He proposes “to cleanse us,” not merely in part, but 
“from all unrighteousness.” To accomplish this work, 
he appoints ambassadors—ministers of his grace,—and 
puts the Bible into their hands, as the great declaration 
of terms, upon which men may be saved from all sin. 
They are authorized to offer freely, pardon to the guilty, 
regeneration to the dead, adoption to the alien, sanctifi¬ 
cation to the impure. They are by no means at liberty 
to adopt any other standard. They may not refer to 
themselves as the rule, and offer only so much of salvation 
as they have themselves experienced. God never made 
poor man the measure of his proffered grace. If this 


IN ITS APPEALS. 


373 


were to be practically claimed, then there would be as 
many gospels as there are ministers, and the extent of 
the hearer’s offered privilege would be the acquirements 
of the pastor. No, we must preach the whole gospel; 
we must “ declare the whole counsel of God, whether 
men will hear or forbear,” though, in our denunciations 
of all sin, we should severely condemn ourselves. We 
must preach holiness, though we feel that we are yet 
impure. He who does not, assumes the fearful respon¬ 
sibility of modifying the gospel,—of practically destroy¬ 
ing the very soul of the gospel, and defeating its grand, 
ultimate aim. He assumes to make a gospel, as though 
it were for him to say what he will preach, as though he 
were the author of the message, or, having, received it 
from the great Jehovah, he, a poor worm, will under¬ 
take to improve it, to select such parts of it as he pre¬ 
fers, and suppress the rest!—will inform the people of 
as much good news as he prefers, and keep back the 
rest!—will offer them a part of the glorious privileges 
of the gospel, and keep from them such as he does not 
realize in his own experience!—will offer them pardon 
and regeneration, but no perfected, finished holiness,— 
love, but never, distinctly, earnestly, and affectionately 
—“perfect love, that casteth out all fear.” No, we 
make no gospel; we originate no message; we have no 
discretionary power as to what we will preach, what 
offers we will make, or withhold from the world. It is 
God’s message,—every word of it his ; and at the peril 
of souls, we may not add to it nor take from it one iota 
of what he has sent us to declare. We must tell guilty 
sinners, that if they “ will seek the Lord while he may 

be found, and call upon him while he is near, he will 
82 


374 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


abundantly pardon/’—though morally dead, as gener¬ 
ated men, they may be spiritually regenerated —“ born 
again,”—made alive through the power of the Spirit;— 
though “ aliens and foreigners,” they may be “ brought 
nigh by the blood of Christ,”—that “ God will send 
forth the Spirit of his Son into their hearts, enabling 
them to cry Abba, Father ; ” and we must declare to the 
adopted, that “ it is the will of God, even then' sancti¬ 
fication ; ”—that it is their imperative duty to “ love the 
Lord their God with all their hearts ; ”—that the “ blood 
of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, cleanseth from all sin.” 
All this must be done, not by hints,—not timidly,—not 
so mixed and covered up as that men will not be likely 
to see these grand points in systematic and experimental 
theology, but so that they may have a definite view of 
them, and feel the power of their attractions and the 
full force of their respective and united claims; with 
such clearness, such pathos and energy, so often repeated 
and urged with tender expostulation and tears,—with 
such unction from God, such authority and power, as 
will move the great deep of the heart, fix every one of 
them distinctly in the mind, and draw out the whole 
being in earnest seeking for them. 

This is all admitted theoretically; but is it practically, 
by ministers of the different evangelical churches ? Do 
not thousands of them omit any such distinct and ear¬ 
nest reference to the privilege of entire sanctification, 
as would be likely to result in a well-directed struggle 
to obtain the blessing ? Are not many alarmed when 
they see that by accidental glimpses of the doctrine, 
through their preaching, or otherwise, some of their 
people are beginning to groan for “ full redemption in 


IN ITS APPEALS. 


375 


the blood of the Lamb ? ” and, especially, if any bur¬ 
dened hearts, after “strong crying and tears,” after 
many days of fearful struggle, profess to be perfectly 
freed,—if there is a realization of this glorious privilege, 
is not great concern expressed, are not these beloved 
ones discouraged, cautioned or neglected, until Satan 
has great chance to insinuate doubts, and destroy their 
confidence ? 

This is making a gospel! It is withholding God’s 
truth! It is, we tremble to say it, accepting the office 
of ambassador from God’s eternal spirit, and saying, at 
the same time, I will deliver only so much of this glori¬ 
ous message as I feel disposed, and suppress the rest! 
Not that our dear brethren think of it in this light, and 
formally determine upon so guilty a decision. Never ! 
A man of conscience would sink to the earth under such 
a responsibility, if he were distinctly to feel it; and 
yet, from the most careful and charitable examination, 
extending through a series of years, and including large 
numbers, we are forced to the conviction that it is prac¬ 
tically done! The slighest evidence to the contrary, 
from any source whatever, would give us the greatest 
possible satisfaction. 

But this is all wrong. It must be so. We have no 
rights of this kind. We are invested with no such 
fearful prerogatives. We have never been to God and 
said, I will accept this commission, but I cannot declare 
the whole message. I will offer the world every thing 
you propose except holiness! I will insist upon all but 
“ perfect love.” I must admit of some remaining sin, 
in the heart. If any man comes into my * pulpit and 
offers present deliverance from all unrighteousness to 


376 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


my people, I must oppose him! If any of the dear 
people committed to my care, begin to cry out for the 
blood of Christ to cleanse them from all sin, I must 
immediately assure them that there is no such thing 
provided for them ! No! we have never said this. We 
should turn pale with alarm, if we were to attempt it. 
And so far as we have done it in practice we are over¬ 
whelmed with sorrow. 

2 . But there are reasons why holiness is not more 
faithfully preached. It is hard to raise the stream 
higher than the fountain. It is hard to preach what we 
have never experienced, and fear of the reproach, 
“ Physician heal thyself,” we doubt not, hinders many of 
us from charging home upon the members of the church, 
their remaining corruptions,—their neglect of “the 
blood ” that “ cleanseth from all sin,” and their expos¬ 
ures to apostasy, and final ruin in consequence! We 
have often felt keenly convicted of criminal negligence, 
upon this point. We have seen that experimental and 
practical holiness was the great desideratum of the 
church,—that our people were weak, and unstable in 
the great work imposed upon them by the order of 
God;—that the more devout among them looked up to 
us for relief from the doubts and distress into which 
their impurities had brought them; and we have been 
aware that the gospel contained the sovereign remedy 
for all these evils, and that God had commissioned us to 
bring out that remedy distinctly and powerfully. But 
alas! if brought out in its own clear light, it would 
appear to be that very remedy which our own souls 
have so long needed, and which we have neglected! 
It would excite much wonder amongst those upon whom 


IN ITS APPEALS. 


we urged it, that we had never applied it to our own 
pressing wants! Every command to the disciples of 
Christ uttered by us from the word of God, “ Be ye 
holy,” would condemn us ; every promise urged for the 
encouragement of seekers for the blessing, would excite 
the inquiry, why does not the preacher lay hold of the 
promises ? Every description of the charms of purity, 
—of the moral splendors of holiness, would elicit sur¬ 
prise that the pastor is not attracted by them! Alas 1 
how many have been deterred from preaching a present, 
rich, and full salvation, by the terrors which these inter¬ 
rogatories have inspired! How many have delayed to 
exhibit what they have known to be the truth of God 
upon this subject, long—very long, after their minds 
have been roused by the influence of the Holy Spirit, 
and by the evident and beseeching wants of their people, 
for no other reason than for fear of the reproach, “ Phy¬ 
sician, heal thyself!” And how many, not able to 
satisfy conscience by an utter oblivion of the great 
doctrine of holiness, have, for this very reason, preferred 
some indirect mode of presenting it,—making it merely 
incidental to a discourse upon other kindred topics, and 
adopting some less pointed and convincing language than 
that of the Scriptures; a mode which, with the mass of 
hearers, will never succeed in giving prominence and 
effect to any doctrine. 

But it is not in the nature of mind to rest quietly 
under such palpable inconsistency. It must, in some 
way, find its equilibrium. If it cannot—if it does not 
bring its practice up to its principles, it will strain every 
faculty to bring its principles down to its practice. 

And there is more or less of confusion, necessarily, in 

32 * 


378 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


all judgments formed of a heart-doctrine which has 
never fully occupied the heart. There may be a zealous 
inquiry into it,—an ardent longing to know it,— 
a fervent pleading with God for its inestimable 
blessings, which, if persisted in, and rightly directed, 
will surely lead to a clear view of the doctrine. And 
even without these, there may be a firm speculative 
faith in the reality of Christian holiness, but no just idea 
of its import,—no correct appreciation of the pervading 
tenderness and love, humility, sweetness and power, 
which it imparts to the soul. It must, therefore, be con¬ 
fessed, that, until we are “ sanctified wholly,” our intel¬ 
ligence upon this great theme is something less than its 
reality, and extremely liable to be something different 
from it. Nothing is, therefore, easier to a mind in this 
state, than to originate doubts as to the just construction 
of those scriptures which teach it—to give plausibility 
to the suggestion, though it comes directly from the 
tempter, that it is something less than entire conform¬ 
ity to the will of God that the gospel requires and prom¬ 
ises ; and hence, that it is not so clearly a reason for 
condemnation, as we had at first supposed,—that we 
have not, for a long time, perhaps never, distinctly, for¬ 
cibly, and feelingly urged upon the attention of our 
hearers, the duty of holiness. And how easy to follow 
out this train of reasoning! There are many other 
important doctrines of Scripture, besides the doctrine of 
Christian perfection, upon which it is our paramount 
duty to insist. And the great majority of gospel minis¬ 
ters,—good men beyond a doubt, give no prominence 
to this doctrine. They are probably judicious in this 
policy. It will be safer—more acceptable to the better 


IN ITS APPEALS. 


379 


class of hearers, and decidedly more convenient for us, 
as we now feel, to follow their example. We shall 
avoid the enthusiasm of perfectionists. We shall escape 
the cutting reproach “ Physician, heal thyself.” 

How easy, after this, to pass blindly over those pas¬ 
sages of holy writ which teach clearly the doctrine of 
entire sanctification, as a present, imperative duty, and an 
exalted privilege,—to dwell with secret pleasure upon 
those which seem to imply the difficulty, and improba¬ 
bility, if not the impossibility, of living without sin; 
and if the result is not confirmed scepticism, in regard 
to the richest provision of the gospel, and the best hope 
of mortals, it is, almost inevitably, increased obscurity 
of vision, indifference to the wants of the church, and 
a quiet resignation to evils which we see no way to 
cure! 

From this, to open opposition, the transition is 
almost imperceptible, but we trust few of those we 
address have made this transition. 

We can, however, thus see how it is that we have so 
little preaching on the subject of holiness. The want of 
experience renders it unpleasant to do it, and hard to 
do it truthfully and effectually! 

3. Experience will furnish the impulse and power to 
preach the doctrine of holiness. It may be preached 
because we find it in the Bible, or because it is a recog¬ 
nized doctrine of the church, but then it may be more 
a matter of form than of feeling,—more of duty than of 
choice. But when the rich enjoyment of perfect love 
pervades the soul, it is a well-spring of purity in utter¬ 
ance, as well as in life. Holiness becomes the most 
natural, truthful, and energetic outward expression of 


380 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


the inner man. It is not, then, hard for the minister to 
bring himself up to the conclusion to offer perfect love 
to the children of God. He will not seek apologies for 
delaying to preach on the subject. The holy fire burns 
within, and it must flame out to the sight of the world. 
The blood that cleanseth from all sin is in the thoughts, 
and it is at once commended to the church. The sanc¬ 
tifying, witnessing Spirit,* pervades the soul, and impels 
its action, and his divine energy is proffered to all who 
“ hunger and thirst after righteousness.” 

Such is the constitution of mind that it can give force 
only to that which it feels to be true. Mere assent to a 
doctrine will impart no warmth,—no impressiveness to 
its announcement. It must, therefore, be far less effective 
where it is preached without the inward reality. Con¬ 
viction of deep-felt sincerity in the preacher ; of a warm 
and glowing love for the church; of an inward and 
powerful realization of the truth and paramount import¬ 
ance of the doctrine, will give great force to the preach¬ 
ing. We have all marked the difference, in effect, of 
these two modes of presenting truth. How often have 
we deeply regretted that the soundest principles of relig¬ 
ion and the most fundamental practical teaching should 
suffer for the want of inward experience in the preacher, 
while the fresh and lively interest, the overwhelming 
pathos and power, imparted to the same instructions, by 
a deep and glowing experience, have fixed our attention, 
melted our hearts, and stamped indelibly upon our 
very souls, the truth of God. We must have the whole 
anointing to do this work. We can use nothing in the 
stead of it. We may argue in the use of the profound- 
est logic ; we may adorn our discourses with all the 


IN ITS APPEALS. 


381 


beauty and grace of rhetoric ; we may utter the very 
words and combinations of orthodoxy; we may vocifer¬ 
ate until our strength of lungs is exhausted, but if the 
truth do not well-up from within us—if it be echo 
merely, it will so appear. There is no concealing the 
fact. It represents itselfi It speaks to the ears of men 
in its own intelligible language ; and all feel, if they do 
not say, “ There is something wanting. The words are 
all very well, but they seem to be hollow,—empty,— 
powerless ! ” The presence and agency of God’s Spirit 
in the preaching will remedy this, and just in proportion 
as its influence has been admitted and made effective in 
the soul. The experience of which we speak is the work 
of the Holy Spirit. The soul is sanctified wholly by the 
Holy Spirit, and his divine presence,—his pervading 
energy in the heart alone can sustain the soul in its 
higher, holier life. The living experience, therefore, 
implies this very presence, and secures its holy power, 
in the exertions which the soul makes to diffuse its own 
purity and joy. Ministers of God who in this state pro¬ 
claim a full salvation, not only can say, “ We speak that 
which we do know, and testify that which we have 
seen; ” but a power from the living God, dwelling 
within them, will accompany, attest, and send home the 
truth that is uttered. 

4. Experience in holiness gives peculiar interest and 
effect to all preaching and to other pastoral labors. It 
is not in the work of entire sanctification alone, as a 
distinctive work, that this amazing power reveals itself. 
It pervades the whole man. It deepens, extends, and 
imparts peculiar strength to his love for sinners, and 
gives to all his efforts to save them a sincerity, and ear- 


382 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


nestness, which it is hard to gainsay or resist. The 
converted man loves souls. The justified and regener¬ 
ated minister goes out into the vineyard of God to save 
souls, but how often and painfully does he feel that there 
is so much of self mingled with his efforts,—so much of 
worldly motive, that he is compelled to weep in distress 
over his want of power ! He feels the moral paralysis 
that resists the prtnnpt, and bold, and decisive action 
which he knows the high obligations of his mission 
require. He remains in his study, or indulges in merely 
miscellaneous or desultory conversation, when he knows 
in his conscience he ought to be going from house to 
house, warning and praying for the people, and exerting 
every power of body and mind to save them from hell, 
merely because he has not the inward relish, the stern 
simplicity of aim, the singleness of eye, which he would 
gain in the full baptism of the Holy Ghost. Unsancti¬ 
fied human nature is reluctant to attack sin,—must be 
urged and argued with, and overruled by a sense of duty, 
to press on vigorously in the aggressive work of Chris¬ 
tianity ; and it is moreover dull in its vision of necessi¬ 
ties, emergencies that exist and call for prompt and fear¬ 
less action upon the part of the church, and especially 
the ministry. It hears no wailing of death coming up 
from the abodes of sin and wretchedness on earth, and 
from hell beneath. It sees no occasion of alarm for the 
world, or of haste to rescue its millions from perdition. 
He who is under its influence is a poor preacher, a poor 
pastor. His work of eternal moment hangs heavily 
on his hands. Diversion, recreation, entertainment of 
almost any kind, comes in as a real relief to his halting, 
doubting soul. O, what will become of such ministers 


IN ITS APPEALS. 


383 


when God shall arise to make inquisition for blood,— 
when he shall search out the watchmen who were placed 
upon the walls pf Zion to warn the people of danger, 
but who gave no warning, or spake so timidly, so sel¬ 
dom, so triflingly, that few believed them in earnest, and 
multitudes, in their very sight, rushed on unwarned to 
hell ? There is blood in their garments—blood in their 
souls, which will cry for vengeance when the world is 
on fire. 

But few, it is believed, of God’s commissioned mes¬ 
sengers permit themselves to be under its influence 
willingly. They resist it, and conquer it, and move on 
in despite of it, to rescue souls from death. They 
know, however, better than language can tell, how sore 
are their battles with remaining depravity,—how chilling 
are its effects upon the sympathies of their nature,— 
how paralyzing to the energies which they fain would 
use to break down the barriers of sin, and rescue its 
votaries from the perils of endless death,—how dark is 
the gloom which it throws around the burning truth of 
God, and not unfrequently around the prospects of their 
own immortal souls. They know—yes, alas! we all 
know; for we have had the sad experience. O, may 
God save us from the inward, deep, and secret cause of 
these dread calamities. 

5. What cannot be done for the benefit of the world 
by a holy ministry ? Such a ministry carries with it its 
own demonstration. There is argument—there is power 
in holiness. Of all the great positions of the gospel, 
this is the evidence of fact,—the highest, most indubi¬ 
table evidence of which a moral question admits. Would 
the preacher show the strength of human depravity ? 


384 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


the marked distinction between his condition and 
character, his hopes and fears, his spirit and temper, 
and those of an unregenerate man,*places it in the 
strongest possible light. Would he inspire his hearers 
with hatred to sin? he is himself an example of the 
deepest inward abhorrence of it ; for he has abandoned 
it; he loathes it; he turns away from it, and spends his 
life to rescue men from it. Would he convince them 
of the efficacy of the Redeemer’s blood ? he is before 
their eyes, a living demonstration that it can “ cleanse 
from all sin.” Would he persuade them of the safety, 
the happiness, the triumph, of “ this way ? ” he has given 
them the result of experience, in a mode so clear that 
they are compelled to confess it; for he has ventured 
his all upon it, and his soul rejoices “ with joy unspeak¬ 
able and full of glory.” He carries with him a spirit 
which no man can either “ gainsay or resist.” Infidels 
quail before it. The sceptic pauses in his career of 
doubting the truth of Christianity, as he sees before him 
a Christian. The multitude tremble, with awe of some 
mysterious presence, when he prays. The disconsolate 
lifts his eyes in hope, saying. Surely there must be a 
way out of darkness. The young Christian is certain 
that there is a deeper work of grace for him. The 
faithful heart breathes afresh its longings for purity; 
and faith, and hope, and love rise in strength and power, 
as the seeker for holiness sees the living evidence of the 
truth of the doctrine, and the attainableness of the 
blessing. The whole church feels the moving, elevat¬ 
ing power of such a ministry. A stationary position 
becomes impossible. The worldly, the trifling, the vain, 
who yield not to its reproofs, who cannot endure the 


IN ITS APPEALS. 


385 


severity of its scrutiny, and the moving pathos of its 
appeals, dee before it, and seek refuge in the world as it 
is, or in a church more accommodating to their sins. 
Social meetings increase in numbers and spirituality. 
Confessions are deep and sincere. Prayers are fervent 
and powerful. God reveals himself in the sternness of 
his law—in the fulness of his love. The preaching, which 
multitudes flock to hear, burns like fire in the hearts of 
guilty sinners. Tears of penitence flow. The sigh, 
the groan, the prayer, reveal the fact that “ the arrows 
of the Almighty are within them.” The altar is thronged 
with mourners, and the shouts of triumph, mingling with 
the cries of distress, show how great is the power which 
is available to men. Onward, and still onward, the host 
of God advances, under the guidance of a man—a meek, 
humble, faithful, holy man, who dares to say, “ Follow 
me as I follow Christ.” Let no- one say this is imagi¬ 
nation. We have all seen and felt it. 

My friend-, had been but a short time from college. 

He was a preacher,—a scholar,—a gentleman. He had 
been sent to a station in the midst of a wealthy commu¬ 
nity, where there were but few members of the church, 
and where moralists, infidels and speculators combined 
to support him. He preached constantly, learnedly, and, 
we presume, faithfully. Months passed, and no indi¬ 
cations of good appeared. We met him at a camp¬ 
meeting. Holiness was the great theme of the meeting. 
We loved the young man, and sought an opportunity to 
converse with him. He felt that all was not right. He 
believed himself a Christian, and lived with fixed pur¬ 
pose to obey and serve God. But there was a want of 
power in his preaching. He could say good things, but 

33 


386 


THE CENTRAL IDEA 


they did not cut. He seemed to himself to be preaching 
into the air. He felt often the conviction, that he 
needed a deeper work of grace. He prayed, and wept, 
and tried, but, as it seemed, in vain, to rise ,• and still, 
he had no such power with God as he felt belonged to 
his sacred profession. We were in a prayer-meeting 
together, when he uttered with earnestness, but not with 
much emotion, the prayer, “ O, Lord, sanctify my soul.” 
We ventured to whisper in his ear such words of 
encouragement and advice as we thought his condi¬ 
tion required. It was long before he melted down 
before the Lord; but when the struggle came on, it 
was a fearful one. His agony was terrible. He spoke 
of his unfaithfulness. He cried out against himself. 
He shrank with alarm from his inward impurities. 
With tears rolling from his eyes, and sweat gushing 
from every pore, he deprecated—covenanted-—plead¬ 
ed—agonized! It was the very wrestling of Jacob. He 
knew no defeat,—but the conflict was protracted. We 
left him, to meet other demands on our little remaining 
strength. How long he lay, a bleeding offering upon 
the altar of God, before the evidence of full salvation 
came, we know not. But he had been carried strength¬ 
less to his tent. We found him prostrate upon his 
couch, with his eyes closed, and his hands clasped, and 
with the brightness of an angel beaming from every 
feature. He wept, and shouted, and praised, with a 
voice so sweet, so changed, so humble and tender, that 
we would not have known him. The tears and sighs 
of the multitude within the tent, and the awe and terror 
upon the countenances of the wicked crowd about the 
door, told of an unearthly spirit, in the spectacle before 


IN ITS APPEALS. 


387 


them, and in the words which were uttered. We pro¬ 
nounced his name, to get his attention. He gently 
opened his eyes, and then raising himself, threw his 
arms about our neck, and in broken sentences, inter¬ 
mingled with sobs and praise, he told us the story of 
his deliverance. Oh, the triumph—the power—the glory 
of that hour! We shall never forget it. His evidence 
of entire sanctification was clear as the light. He was 
soon too much absorbed in the ravishing glories of full 
redemption, and in the contemplation of his manifested 
Savior, to give special attention to his dearest friends ; 
and there he lay, chinking in the streams of life, hold¬ 
ing converse with the Divine Anointed; and it was no 
illusion; his face shone with the light of another world. 
All eyes beheld it, and, like Israel before Moses, when he 
descended from the mount of God, we stood awestruck, 
before the reflected glories of divinity. 

The meeting closed, and “ another spirit ” was in our 
friend. He was humble, simple-hearted, and sweet as 
a child. But the power of Jehovah was in his preach¬ 
ing and his prayer. His hearers were amazed at the 
change in the preacher. The spirit of holiness burned 
and flamed out in every sermon. The w r ord, like a two- 
edged, burnished Jerusalem blade, cut its way to tbe 
hearts of the people. Brave 'men v r ept like children. 
Strong men bowed themselves under a might which 
they could not see. Infidels trembled and stood aghast, 
before the divinity w r hich spoke^ in the words and 
appeared in the movements of a man! The w'ork was 
powerful, beyond all precedent in that vicinity. It 
sw r ept like fire through that hitherto hardened and 
unbelieving community, bringing down infidel teachers, 


388 


THE CENTRAL ILEA 


moralists and scoffers indiscriminately, before the altar of 
God. Whole families were converted, the church was 
firmly established. They “ who were not a people,” had 
become the strong and conquering army of the Lord ; 
and all—let no one dare to doubt it,—by the baptism of 
fire, which, in answer to faith and prayer, had fallen 
upon the servant of God. 

jSTor is it a doubtful relation between this cause and 
effect. As the word of God is true, as religion is divine, 
it ought to be so—it can be no otherwise. We languish 
and toil with no marked results, because we take not 
the energies of the great scheme of salvation, to give 
efficiency to our labors. We gradually lose our hold 
upon the omnipotence of God,—depend upon our own 
strength and skill; and then wonder that we see not the 
results which belong only to divine power. We work 
with what little grace we have, and flatter ourselves that 
we are doing all we can; search every where out of 
ourselves for the 'cause of our failures, and look- upon 
the success we have as ample excuse for not doing 
more,—the more which we might, and surely would 
do, if we were entirely dedicated to God. A holy 
ministry! Oh, when shall the world look upon the 
spectacle ? When shall God and man witness the self- 
sacrifice—the ardor—the living poWer of a holy min¬ 
istry ? The Lord, for Christ’s sake, hasten the time. 

But these are not our appeals. They rise directly 
out of the fact, that, holiness is the central idea of 
Christianity. This fact sustained by various indubitable 
evidences founded upon the word of God is before us. 
With what views and feelings is it contemplated ? What 
disposition is to be made of it ? Let the reader answer 


IN ITS APPEALS. 


389 


oil his knees. Before the Searcher of hearts, let him 
renounce the "world, and all carnal indulgence for ever. 
Let him seek to secure permanent reformation by the 
purification of the heart, through the blood of Christ, by 
the power of the Holy Ghost; and having proved, by a 
living, triumphant faith, the blessedness of perfect love, 
let him obey till he dies, the great command, “ but 
grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and 
Savior Jesus Christ,” and, in a heaven of unsullied holi¬ 
ness, he will prove the fulness of the Savior’s beatitude. 
“ Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” 

Finally, we express the firm belief that this grand 
central sun will shine out with a light which shall be 
clear, steady, increasing and ineffably glorious, and at 
length fix upon itself the gaze of the world. It is des¬ 
tined to become the one attracting force which will 
produce and explain the unity, power and splendor of 
the universal church, when “the earth shall be filled 
with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the 
waters cover the sea.” 


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V 




















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THE 

CENTRAL IDEA OF CHRISTIANITY. 

BY JESSE T. PECK, D. D. 


BOSTON: HENRY V. DEGEN, 21 CORNHILL. 

NEW YORK: CARLTON & PORTER, 200 MULBERRY ST. 


This work was issued in May last, and we are now selling the fourth thousand. 
The publishers, highly gratified with its reception, have aimed to bring it out in the 
very best style. They give the following extracts from the numerous favorable 
notices which they have received : 

Rev. Dr. McClintock, in the Methodist Quarterly Review, July, 1856, says : 

“ The arrangement of the book is clear and logical; its style is at once fervent and forcible 
throughout.” 

Rev Abel Stevens, in the Christian Advocate and Journal, says : 

“ We may well associate with Mr. Arthur’s volume, [Tongue of Fire,] the new work of Dr. 
J. T. Peck." 

He gives the subjects of the chapters, and adds : 

“ After this analysis, we need only further sav that the subject is discussed with remarkable 
perspicuity ; its theology we deem genuinely Methodistic, and its style is characterized by a 
peculiar fervor, and almost electrical stimulus, marred by little or no extravagance. After the 
late confusions of opinion which have prevailed among us on this great doctrine, a work so 
lucid, logical and orthodox, is needed." 

The late Rev. J. V. Watson, in the North West Christian Advocate, says : 

“ The Doctor writes with great earnestness and spirit; his heart, especially on this subject, 
flowing in his lines. The work will do great good. The book is having a ready sale, ana 

deserves it." 

Rev. F. G. Hibbard, D. D., in the Northern Christian Advocate, says : 

“ The work before us is a terse, pointed, correct and comprehensive presentation of the real¬ 
ity, import, obligations, necessity, manner of seeking, and manner of keeping and treating the 
precious boon of entire inward holiness. The arguments of the author arc entirely conclu¬ 
sive, evangelical, and in point, to settle faith, and satisfy inquiry. His style is nervous, search¬ 
ing and simple. His advices to the humble seeker are exceedingly in point. They are the 
language of the heart, and they reach the heart. We simply add, that theologically, the work, 
without being in the slightest degree controversial, is fully adjusted to the present state of opin¬ 
ion and discipline on the subject of holiness, and will be held as a standard work in Armin- 
ian divinity,” 

Rev. D. W. Clark, D. D., in the Ladies’ Repository, after an analysis, says : 

“ The whole now exhibits a continuous train of thought, and embodies a really powerful 
argument upon the great subject of which it treats. The work is characterized by the author’s 
usual vigor of style, and earnestness of appeal, and is just such a work as will do the earnest 
Christian good.” 

Rev. R. S. Foster, D. D., in the National Magazine, says : 

“ The enterprising publisher has performed his part excellently, presenting the work in a 
most inviting dress. The author is well known, and whatever defects a censorious criticism 
might detect in his work we are persuaded, on the whole, that it will not only add to his 
literary reputation, but that it is destined to do great and enduring good. The subject 
treated is Christian holiness. The author, while strictly Wesleyan, has happily succeeded in 
divesting his book of a controversial spirit In a plain, straightforward method, he pursues his 
subject, suffusing every page with a genial and ardent piety, which cannot fail to commend 
him even to those who may, on many points of theory, differ from him.” 

Rev. Dr. Flot, Editor of the National Magazine, says : 

“ The book is well calculated to promote the best interests of the church at large, and worthy 
of a place in every Christian library.” 

Rev. M. Frencfi, in the Beauty of Holiness, says : 

“ Those who are acquainted with our author’s writing will scarcely need the assurance that, 
in treating this great subject, he is bold, clear, full and safe. This author is evidently not one 
of a party, but of the church universal, yet consecrated to declare the whole counsel of God.” 




Rev. Dr. Baird, Editor of the Pittsburg Christian Advocate, says : 

“ The title of this book is honest. It does not hold out a lure to attract us to a reading, and 
then abandon us to a hopeless search through its pages to recover the idea suggested in the 
title. Here the reader finds the germ of the book in its name. Like all earnest men. the author 
dashes at once into the subject he proposes to discuss, and arrests the reader’s attention by the 
question, “ What is ttie central idea o. Christianity ? ” The answer is direct and comprehen¬ 
sive, “//bh'ness, or moral purity.” This answer is supported by several independent argu¬ 
ments—scriptural, analytical, historical, and experimental; and when the reader has given 
these the attention necessary to their full force, he feels that he has reached a rock, on which he 
can safely stand—the answer is among the things ascertained. The publication of this book 
will meet a want of the times. Following, as it does, in the wake of Arthur’s ‘ Tongue of 
Fire.’ breathing the same earnest spirit, and instinct with the same burning zeal, we hope it 
may be allowed to accompany that work through the land.” 

Dr. Baird, in a letter, says : 

“ The author has brought the church under immense obligation by this work.” 

Rev. Dr. Bangs says : 

“I have read this book with the deepest interest. With the exception of Wesley’s Plain 
Account and Fletcher’s Treatise, this is the best, the clearest, the most pungent, and, of course, 
comes home to the undestanding and conscience with the most quickening influence of any I 
have ever read. Reader, get the book, and read it for yourself, and then tell me if I have 
spoken in too commendatory terms of its contents.” 

.Tames Strong, LL. D., author of the Harmony, says : 

“ I desire to recommend to the readers of the Advocate the new work of Dr. J. T. Peck, on 
Entire Holiness, “ The Central Idea of Christianity.” It is both philosophical in its treatment, 
and practical in its application of its theme ; and appears to me peculiarly apposite to these 
times, when this doctrine has become the subject or occasion of so much controversy. Its 
temperate tone and discriminations,yet earnest and explicit manner, are eminently calculated 
to promote the great end, not only of “ spreading scriptural holiness over these lands,” but of 
diffusing it throughout the individual hearts of Christians,” 

The Commercial Advertiser says : 

“ The reverend author of this work is eminent among the divines of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church. He writes to prove that * holiness, or Christian perfection, is the central idea of Chris¬ 
tianity.’ His argument on this Is learned and vigorous.” 

Rev. Wesley Kenny has an able review of the work in the Methodist Quarterly 
Review for June, 1856. After showing that holiness is the great necessity of the 
church for bringing in ct Christ’s millennial reign,” he says : 

“ To promote so sublime a result, the work of Dr. Peck is, in our deliberate judgment, most 
directly adapted. Sufficiently free of all controversy to offend none who desire to know the 
way of the Lord more perfectly, it is, at the same time, just the book to meet the present exi¬ 
gencies of our Zion. We greatly mistake if this volume does not make itself felt in the very 
ends of the earth, by the new energy it will infuse into the church—clear in argument, gener¬ 
ally precise in definition, felicitous in illustration, and pressing its great conclusions upon the 
heart and conscience with a most fervid utterance.” 

Rev. Allen Steele, who examined it critically before it was published, says : 

“ It is original and independent, earnest and vigorous, as fresh and racy as it is just and pro¬ 
found. ’ 

Ret. Daniel Wise, while editor of Zion’s Herald, pronounced it 

“ An excellent volume, eminently calculated to stimulate the church to seek a closer walk 
with God.” 

Rev. Dr. Durbin says: 

“ Allow me to commend to the notice and perusal of the thoughtful and the earnest portion 
of the Christian Church, the volume mentioned at the head of this article. It is on the subject 
of evangelical holiness, or Christian perfection, a theme which has provoked much cloudy and 
intemperate discussion ; so much so, indeed, that the moderate and reflecting had begun to lose 
interest and confidence in the subject. Such was the state of my own raina until I read Dr. 
Peck’s book, in which I find the subject discussed in a calm and clear manner, and subjected 
to the test of Scripture and experience, confirmed by the nature of the case. In this book the 
proper relations of holiness or Christian perfection, to the other parts of the Christian’s faith and 
experience, are clearly pointed out; and thus the heart is not only strengthened in its piety, 
but is guarded against undue excess of thought and feeling in one particular direction ; and the 
result is strength and symmetry in the individual experience. It is a book to be read, learned, 
and inwardly digested, and will much promote vigorous and healthful piety in the Church." 


FOR 8ALE BY 

HENRY Y. DEGEN, 

At the Office of the “ Guide to Holiness,” 21 Cornhill, Boston, 
CARLTON & PORTER, 200 MULBERRY STREET, NEW YORK, 

AND METHODIST BOOKSELLERS GENERALLY. 


























































































































































































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